CONFIDENTIAL
4. THE POLITICAL ADVISER SAID THAT HE FULLY UNDERSTOOD THA THE SITUATION IN THAILAND WAS APALLING. WE HAD HOWEVER ALWAYS ASSUMED, AS THE THE AMERICANS THEMSELVES HAD TOLD US, THAT THE MAJOR AND MOST IMMEDIATE PROBLEM WAS THE INFLOW OF TEMPORARY REFUGEES FROM CAMBODIA RATHER THAN THE NUMBERS WAITING FOR PERMANENT RESTTLEMENT ELSEWHERE. SO FAR AS RESTTLEMENT FROM HONG KONG WAS CONCERNED, WE NOTED THAT THE AIM WAS TO MAINTAIN THE OVERALL FIGURE OF 4,000 FOR TWO MONTHS. DESPITE THE REDUCTION IN DIRECT MOVEMENTS WE WERE GRATEFUL THAT AN EFFORT WAS BEING MADE TO STICK TO THE ORIGINAL QUOTA. WHAT REALLY MATTERED WAS THE TOTAL NUMBER LEAVING, NOT WHERE THEY WENT. NEVERTHELESS, THERE SEEMED TO BE SOME UNCERTAINTY ABOUT WHETHER IT WOULD ACTUALLY BE POSSIBLE TO MOVE THE NUMBERS PROPOSED TO THE PHILIPPINES IN JANUARY. FURTHERMORE, WE HAD ALWAYS HOPED, AND BEEN ENCOURAGED TO BELIEVE (E.G. BY HOLBROOKE ON 2 NOVEMBER),
THAT THE EXISTENCE OF A REPROCESSING CENTRE IN THE PHILIPPINES WOULD GREATLY INCREASE THE TOTAL NUMBER TAKEN FROM HONG KONG, NOT JUST KEEP IT AT THE SAME LEVEL. HONG KONG NOW HAD THE GREATEST NUMBER OF BOAT REFUGEES IN THE REGION, THE BEST RECORD FOR HUMANITARIAN TREATMENT, AND WHAT WAS PROBABLY NOW THE WORST RECORD FOR RESETTLEMENT. THIS COMBINATION WOULD UNFORTUNATELY
PROVIDE AMMUNITION FOR THOSE WHO CRITICISED THE GOVERNMENT FOR BEING TOO LIBERAL.
5. IN FURTHER CONVERSATION, THE CONSUL-GENERAL SAID THAT THE QUOTAS FOR FEBRUARY ONWARDS WOULD BE REVIEWED IN JANUARY. THE READJUSTMENT WAS A TEMPORARY MEASURE TO DEAL WITH A TEMPORARY CRISIS. AT THE POLITICAL ADVISER'S REQUEST HE ALSO UNDERTOOK TO SUGGEST TO THE U.S. GOVERNMENT THAT THEY SHOULD CONFIRM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE THAT THE PROCESSING CENTRE IN MANILA WOULD INDEED BE OPEN TO ALL THOSE WHOM THE AMERICANS WISHED TO SEND THERE.
CATER
DEPARTMENTAL DISTN.
SEAD
EID
FED
NEWS D
NAD
ODA
HA&D
OZD UND
CABINET OFFICE
COPIESTO: HONG KONG GOV: OFFICE,
LONDON
COPIES SENT TO
2 CONFIDENTIAL
No. 10 DOWNING STREET