HKK 243/1
Торсору,
(273
202
GR 250
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
INDEX
STRY
Taken
PA
FM HONG KONG 280740Z OCT 82
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1238 OF 28 OCTOBER
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, CANBERRA,
UKMIS GENEVA
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.
WE BELIEVE AUSTRALIANS WILL SHORTLY BE DECIDING ALLOCATION OF
VIETNAMESE REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT PLACES BETWEEN PORTS OF FIRST
ASYLUM FOR 1983.
2. AUSTRALIAN OFFTAKE FROM HONG KONG HAS NOT SO FAR BEEN GOOD.
PRIORITY HAVING BEEN GIVEN TO ASEAN. BETWEEN JULY 1979 AND AUGUST
1982 AUSTRALIA HAS TAKEN ONLY 2477 FROM HONG KONG, AGAINST 10175 FROM INDONESIA, 29014 FROM MALAYSIA AND 6395 FROM THAILAND. HOWEVER, HARD LOBBYING NOW AT A SENIOR LEVEL, DRAWING ON OUR -TELNO 1065 TO YOU MIGHT PERSUADE THE AUSTRALIANS TO REDRESS THE
BALANCE.
3. GRATEFUL THEREFORE IF YOU WOULD CONSIDER ARRANGING SUCH ACTION IN CANBERRA, WHICH WE WOULD FOLLOW WITH COMMISSION HERE.
4. SIR J CATER (HONG KONG COMMISSIONER IN LONDON AND FORMERLY CHIEF SECRETARY) IS NOW IN AUSTRALIA. IF HE GOES TO CANBERRA,
HE WILL CONTACT HIGH COMMISSION TO ARRANGE MEETINGS WITH AUSTRALIAN ADMINISTRATION.
5. WE DO NOT KNOW WHETHER CATER WILL GO TO CANBERRA BUT BELIEVE IN ANY CASE THAT SEPARATE LOBBYING IN CANBERRA IS ALSO NEEDED. 6. TEXT OF CATER'S BRIEF IS IN MIFT.
Af2960
see 274
278
YOUDE
SEAD
HK + GD
FED
UND
NEWS D
PS
PS/LORD BELSTEAD
PS/ PUS
MR DONALD
MR URE
274
COPIES TO:
HKGO LONDON
THIS TELEGRAM
WAS NOT ADVANCED
CONFIDENTIAL