1897
3459
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ach
Willánsan
I C Orr Esq
British Embassy
Via XX Settembre 80A 00187 Rome
Telex 61049 Telephone 4755.441
Government Secretariat,
HONG KONG
Mulress
PA
Your reference
HKK 243/1
303152 burpference
1253/27
DESK OFFICER
Date
INDEX
INDE
ALGO
Juss
3 December 1979
1888
1
Dear Jain,
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES: RESETTLEMENT FROM HONG KONG
1.
9842
Thank you for sending us a copy of your letter of 9 November to Clive Stitt in SEAD.
2.
I spoke about this again today to Ramiro Ruggiero, Head of the MFA Far East Department. I stressed the magnitude of the problem in Hong Kong and urged him to encourage the Italian Government if possible to increase their offtake of refugees from Hong Kong in 1980. I left with him a copy of your updated fact sheet.
3.
Ruggiero was sympathetic, but doubted whether the Italians could in fact do much more. He pointed out that the further 70 referred to in your letter of 1 November had now all arrived, bringing the Italian total from Hong Kong for this year to over ! 100 (which I see is reflected in your latest Sitrep in Hong Kong
telno 1686). As for the questions in paragraph 3 of your letter, Ruggiero said that the Italians had no fixed quotas, but that the total number of Indo-Chinese refugees accepted by Italy from all sources this year would be 1,655 by 7 December. Of these, by far the majority were boat refugees (though Ruggiero did not have the precise figure). Ruggiero added that for next year the Italians were thinking of taking a higher proportion of land refugees, particularly Cambodians who had fled across the border into Thailand But he assured me that they would also give due weight to our representations about boat people from Hong Kong.
4.
Apart from our own representations here, Ruggiero said that they were receiving regular reports from their Consul in Hong kong, who was evidently being kept well supplied with information by you. Ruggiero also mentioned that the Governor had raised the subject with the Italian Socialist Party Secretary, Craxi, when he paused through Hong Kong recently. I think there is no doubt therefore that our message is getting through.
Yours ever,
Mark
M E Pellew
cc: C Stitt Esq, SEAD,
FCO
UKMIS GENEVA
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