HKK 2435
RESTRICTED
RECEIV
H
29 JUL 1980
37045
(~...~.)
GRS
258
RESTRICTED
FM FCO 251645Z JUL 80
TO PRIORITY HONG KONG
TELEGRAM NUMBER 605 OF 25 JULY
INFO PRIORITY ATHENS
INFO SAVING UKMIS GENEVA: LISBON
YOUR TELNO 3 TO ATHENS:
SETTLEMENT IN GREECE
DESK OFFICER.
INDEX
PA
мо
d
REGISTRY Take
se
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG FOR
THE
1. ACTING UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE IN LONDON CONTACTED HKGD TO SAY
THAT, OF THE 150 PLACES OFFERED BY THE GREEK GOVERNMENT TO
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG, ONLY 42 HAD BEEN TAKEN UP.
ALTHOUGH THE GREEKS HAD REQUESTED REFUGEES WITH SMALL-HOLDING
BACKGROUND, NONE OF THE VOLUNTEERS HAD HAD THIS EXPERIENCE.
GREEKS ARE WONDERING ABOUT THE 108 VACANT PLACES. THEY DO NOT
WANT FURTHER INEXPERIENCED VOLUNTEERS FROM HONG KONG, BUT AT THE
SAME TIME DO NOT WISH TO THROW OPEN THESE PLACES TO OTHER
COUNTRIES IN SOUTH-EAST ASIA WITH VIETNAMESE REFUGEE POPULATIONS
UNTIL WE REMOVE THEM FROM THEIR MORAL OBLIGATION TO FILL THE
PLACES FROM HONG KONG.
2. THE UNHCR'S POSITION IS THAT THEY DO NOT WISH TO ANNOY THE
GREEKS BY TRYING TO PLACE UNSUITABLE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG.
THE SAME TIME, THEY WANT TO HELP HONG KONG AS MUCH AS THEY CAN.
MACAO HAS SUFFICIENT VOLUNTEERS FROM ITS VIETNAMESE REFUGEE
POPULATION WHO WOULD BE SUITABLE FOR GREECE AND THE GREEK
GOVERNMENT WOULD BE HAPPY TO ACCEPT THEM.
3.
AT
UNLESS YOU CAN IDENTIFY FROM AMONGST RECENT ARRIVALS A GROUP
OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES WITH THE RIGHT AGRICULTURAL BACKGROUND TO
FILL ALL OR SOME OF THE VACANT PLACES IN GREECE, WE ARE INCLINED
TO TELL THE UNHCR AND THE GREEK GOVERNMENT THAT THEY CAN GO AHEAD
AND FILL THE PLACES FROM MACAO THUS RELIEVING THEM OF THEIR
OBLIGATION TO US AND TO HONG KONG.
CARRINGTON
DIST:
FILES
MKGD
SEAD
COPIES TO:
HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON
SED
UND
RESTRICTED
AZA