Sir Oliver Wri
BONN
HKCK 24315
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51 2 4 JUL 1980
The Clift Elifer AKxGD
and Common
Horeign and Commonwealth
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Aw 34th
London SW1A 2AH
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21 July 1980 Mr. Willyjou
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Dear Oliver,
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG
1
You wrote to Alan Donald about this on 9 June in response to Murray MacLehose's letter of 15 May.
2 Iwas able to discuss the matter with Murray on 14 July, when he arrived on leave. We focussed on your point that an approach to the Germans would require that our own record over refugees from South-East Asia as a whole was as good as and preferably better than the FRG's. The trouble is that the figures show that since outflow from Vietnam began the Germans have done better than us. They have taken 13,750 against our 9,500. Obviously this weakens our ground and I am inclined to agree with you that we would be exposing the Secretary of State too much if we asked him to write to Herr Genscher.
3 I know nevertheless that you have Hong Kong's problems very much in mind. It would be helpful to have your thoughts on how we can best push Hong Kong's case. It is a strong one on its own merits. Whatever the overall records of the resettlement countries, Hong Kong are losing out when compared with other territories of first asylum, particularly Malaysia and Indonesia. The very liberality of Hong Kong's policies towards refugees is a handicap to them - they attract new arrivals and those established there are reluctant to leave. Hence the need for all resettlement countries to accord Hong Kong a high priority.
4 It may be that it would be helpful for the Secretary of State to put these points to Herr Genscher in the margins of a future meeting (eg of EC Foreign Ministers). If this is not likely to be practicable, I would be grateful for any opportunity you can take yourself to hammer home Hong Kong's difficulties. I realise, of course, that it is far from easy from the German angle we fully appreciate the complications of the Bonn/Lander division of responsibility.
sul
Ymm
Teddy.
-
Edward Youde
сс
Sir J Cater KBE Acting Governor
Hong Kong
CONFIDENTIAL,