GRS 230

CONFIDENTIAL

DESKBY 170100Z JULY 82

FM FCO 161600Z JULY 82

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

CONFIDENTIAL

14956

Hack 243/2

RETALEGE

2

TELEGRAM NUMBER 552 OF 16 JULY

PQS: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES

МЕХ

NOI

PA CGE

20/7

AF 20%

See 21

1. MR IAN WRIGGLESWORTH MP HAS PUT DOWN THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS

FOR WRITTEN ANSWER:

A.

QUOTE TO ASK THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMON-

WEALTH AFFAIRS, WHEN HE EXPECTS THE REMAINING VIETNAMESE REFUGEES

IN HONG KONG TO BE RESETTLED: AND IF HE WILL MAKE A STATEMENT.

UNQUOTE

B. QUOTE TO ASK THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMON-

WEALTH AFFAIRS, HOW MANY VIETNAMESE REFUGEES REMAIN IN HONG KONG

AWAITING RESETTLEMENT IN OTHER COUNTRIES. UNQUOTE

2. PROPOSED ANSWER TO A: QUOTE (X) REFUGEES HAVE SO FAR BEEN

RESETTLED IN 1982. THE UNPREDICTABILITY OF THE VARIOUS FACTORS

INVOLVED MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO GIVE A RELIABLE ESTIMATE OF WHEN

ALL THOSE NOW IN HONG KONG WILL BE RESETTLED. UNQUOTE. IS IT

POSSIBLE TO SAY ANYTHING MORE POSITIVE EG TO ESTIMATE NUMBERS

LIKELY TO BE RESETTLED THIS YEAR?

3. PRESUME B REFERS TO TOTAL NUMBER IN HONG KONG RATHER THAN

ONLY THOSE ALREADY IN RECEIPT OF RESETTLEMENT OFFERS. PROPOSE

REPLY AS FOLLOWS: QUOTE THE NUMBER OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN

HONG KONG AWAITING RESETTLEMENT ON (DATE) WAS (Y). THERE WERE

IN ADDITION (Z) AWAITING REPATRIATION TO CHINA, WHERE THEY HAD

PREVIOUSLY SETTLED BEFORE COMING TO HONG KONG ILLEGALLY. UNQUOTE.

GRATEFUL FOR FIGURES FOR LATEST AVAILABLE DATE AND ANY

COMMENTS DESKBY 19120OZ.

4.

PYM

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DISTRIBUTION

MINIMAL

4RED

SAED

1

CONFIDENTIAL

दि

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