GPS Ø
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 181055Z JAN 80
CONFIDENTIAL
AKK 243/5
VED IN REGISTRY NO.
23 JAN1980
DA
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 111 OF 18 JANUARY
OK OFFICL
IN DE
PA
en
AW 2311
INFO IMMEDIATE WASHINGTON PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON
UKMIS GENEVA.
see(7
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES: US PROGRAMME IN HONG KONG.
18
1. THE US CONSUL-GENERAL HAS TOLD US THAT THE FEBRUARY RESETTLEMENT QUOTA FOR HONG KONG WILL BE 1,000 WITH THE HOPE THAT A FURTHER 1,000 WOULD BE TAKEN TO THE REFUGEE PROCESSING CENTRE (RPC) IN THE PHILIPPINES. SHOESMITH COULD NOT BE CATEGORIC ABOUT THE MOVEMENT TO THE RPC NOR COULD HE GUARANTEE THAT IF THIS FAILED TO MATERIALISE FOR ANY REASON, THE NUMBERS WOULD BE MADE UP TO 2,000 BY INCREASING DIRECT RESETTLEMENT. HOWEVER, H1S OWN UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT OVERALL MOVEMENT OUT OF HONG KONG OF 2,000 WAS THE PRESENT INTENTION. NO QUOTAS HAVE BEEN ALLOCATED BEYOND FEBRUARY BUT SHOESMITH GAVE HIS PERSONAL VIEW THAT THERE WAS VIRTUALLY NO CHANCE OF ANY INCREASE BEYOND 2,000. HE ALSO INDICATED THAT IN SOME QUARTERS IN WASHINGTON THERE WAS EVEN AN INCLINATION TO REDUCE THE HONG KONG QUOTA.
2. WE SAID THAT THIS WAS EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTING NEWS, ESPECIALLY
IN VIEW OF PAST ASSURANCES THAT US QUOTAS WOULD BE REVIEWED IN THE LIGHT OF REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS. WE POINTED OUT (USING THE FIGURES IN MYTELNO 88) THAT LOW RESETTLEMENT IN 1979 HAD RESULTED
IN AN INCREASE IN THE PROPORTION OF THE BOAT REFUGEE BURDEN BORNE BY HONG KONG. WE RE-EMPHASISED THIS BY POINTING OUT THAT THE 1979 US OFF-TAKE FROM HONG KONG (11,908) WAS THE SAME AS FROM INDONESIA (11,932), WHICH HAD A SMALLER REFUGEE BURDEN AND WHERE ARRIVALS HAD BEEN LATER THAN IN HONG KONG, AND FAR LOWER
THAN FROM MALAYSIA (38,097).
3. WHILE SHOESMITH EXPRESSED SYMPATHY, HE SAID THAT FIGURES ALONE CUT LITTLE ICE IN WASHINGTON. THE DOMINATING CONSIDERATIONS AT PRESENT WERE THE NEED TO HELP THAILAND AND A CONTINUING BELIEF THAT A REASONABLY HIGH RESETTLEMEN T RATE FROM MALAYSIA WAS THE CALY WAY OF ENSURING THAT IF THE EXODUS FROM VIETNAM RESUMED, FOS WOULD NOT BE TURNED AWAY FROM MALAYSIA. HONGKONG'S CASE
4D TO BE MADE TO WASHINGTON IN TERMS OF SPECIFIC FACTORS WHICH ARGUED FOR A HIGH PRIORITY. FOR EARLY RESETTLEMENT OF REFUGEES
FROM HONG KONG.
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