I'
Mr Donald
CONFIDENTIAL
HONG KONG: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
PROBLEM
Land Prog Seals
PS/LPS
HKK 243/1
RECEIVED IN ERNGRY NO. 51
1 JAN 162
DESK OFFICIN INDEX
FA
REGISTRY Nation Taken
3/2 AF 31
1. What to do about the continued arrival of Vietnamese
refugees in Hong Kong as the offtake by resettlement
countries decreases.
See 10
RECOMMENDATION
2.
I recommend that the Lord Privy Seal agree:
1- Hkk 2 4 3/2 113
A
1
B-HKK 243/20
127
i.
ii.
iii.
1981
iv.
that the Hong Kong Government must continue
its humanitarian policy of giving first
asylum to Vietnamese refugees;
that we should explain Hong Kong's position to the American, Canadian, Australian and French missions in London and to the United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
in Geneva;
that there can be no question of a further UK quota for Vietnamese refugees from Hong Kong
at this stage; and
that Mr Donald, or I in his absence, should reply to Sir Philip Haddon-Cave's letter of 2 December 1981 on the lines of the attached draft.
(Mr Donald sent an interim reply on 17 December
1981). SEAD concur.
CONFIDENTIAL
/BACKGROUND
27