CONFIDENTIAL

GR 240

CONFIDENTIAL

FM WASHINGTON 26005ØZ FEB 82

TO IMMEDIATE F C O

HIK 243/1

RECEIVED IN RECUSTRY NO. 51

1 MAR fy

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

PA

Action Ta

TELEGRAM NO 635 OF 25 FEBRUARY

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG ROUTINE UKMIS GENEVA

(26)

FCO TELNO 338: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG.

سلام

J4.3 Af413

Sed 28

33

HKK 24-3/2

1. CUSHING, ASIAN REFUGEES OFFICE DIRECTOR AT THE STATE DEPARTMENT TELLS US THAT THERE HAS BEEN NO POLICY DECISION TO CONTINUE CONSIDERATION OF 4E (THOSE WITHOUT US TIES) CASES ELSEWHERE IN SE ASIA, OTHER THAN IN THAILAND (OUR TELNO 3817 OF 16 DECEMBER).

THE FAR FROM HONG KONG BEING SINGLED OUT FOR ADVERSE TREATMENT, AMERICANS HAVE RECENTLY AGREED TO TAKE FROM THE COLONY SOME 200 4E REFUGEES WHOSE CASES COULD NOT BE PROCESSED BEFORE THE 4 DECEMBER DEADLINE (PARA 2 OF OUR TUR). THIS CONCESSION HAS NOT BEEN MADE TO OTHER SE ASIAN FIRST ASYLUM TERRITORIES,

2. CUSHING NOTED THAT, BEFORE THE AMERICANS INSTITUTED THEIR 4E EXCLUSIONS POLICY, THEY HAD GIVEN FIRST PRIORITY TO SOUTH VIETNAMESE IN HONG KONG SEMICOLON THEN, INSOFAR AS THE US QUOTA FOR THE COLONY WAS NOT MET, THEY HAD TAKEN NORTH VIETNAMESE, GIVEN THAT THE MAJORITY OF REFUGEES ARRIVING IN HONG KONG WERE NORTH VIETNAMESE, THIS HAD MEANT IN PRACTICE THAT THE AMERICANS TOOK IN LARGE NUMBERS OF THEM WITHIN THEIR QUOTA.

3. CUSHING TOLD ME HE EXPECTS TO BE ARRIVING IN HONG KONG ON 31 MARCH AS PART OF A VISIT TO THE AREA, HE WOULD BE HAPPY TO SEE THE GOVERNOR'S POLITICAL ADVISER, OR ANYONE ELSE WE MIGHT SUGGEST, ON

APRIL

THOMAS

1981

125

LIMITED

HKOGD

SEAD

UND PSILPS

COPIES

то

HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE

LONDON

MR DONALD

CONFIDENTIAL

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