00 GEORGETOWN DESKBY 22200OZ
GRS 635
CONFIDENTIAL
DESKBY 222000Z
FM FCO 221445Z FEB 83
TO IMMEDIATE GEORGETOWN
CONFIDENTIAL
P.A... ра
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3550 1
HKK 243 2
30. $1
2 3 FEB 1983
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спашо
TELEGRAM NUMBER 15 OF 22 FEBRUARY
INFO HONG KONG, PARIS
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PARIS TELNOS 136 AND 143 AND YOUR TELNO 30 : PROPOSED RESETTLEMENT
OF_VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN FRENCH GUIANA
1. THE FOLLOWING IS TO GIVE YOU SOME BACKGROUND ON STUMPF'S
RECENT VISIT TO FRENCH GUIANA IN ADVANCE OF YOUR OWN VISIT.
2. KARL STUMPF IS VICE CHAIRMAN OF THE HONG KONG COMMUNITY
COUNCIL FOR THE RESETTLEMENT OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES, A VOLUNTARY
ORGANISATION. HE HAS TRAVELLED WIDELY IN NORTH AMERICA AND IN
EUROPE IN SUPPORT OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT PROGRAMMES
AND HAS A GREAT MANY CONTACTS IN GOVERNMENTAL AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL
AGENCIES. FRENCH GUIANA WAS AMONG THOSE PLACES WHERE HE WAS
HOPEFUL THAT RESETTLEMENT OPPORTUNITIES COULD BE FOUND. THE FRENCH
AUTHORITIES IN PARIS HAD, IN 1981, GIVEN THEIR AGREEMENT IN
PRINCIPLE TO STUMPF VISITING FRENCH GUIANA TO EXPLORE THE
POSSIBILITIES.
3. IT WAS NOT, HOWEVER, UNTIL JANUARY THIS YEAR THAT THE VISIT
FINALLY TOOK PLACE. IT WAS AGREED THAT HE SHOULD TRAVEL FIRST TO
PARIS TO MEET OFFICIALS AT THE QUAI AND THE DOM-TOMS, WHICH HE
DID FROM 15 TO 19 JANUARY. THE FRENCH GAVE STUMPF'S PROPOSALS A FULL HEARING BUT INDICATED THAT THERE WOULD BE REAL DIFFICULTIES IN RESETTLING VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG IN FRENCH GUIANA, NOTABLY BECAUSE THERE WAS ALREADY ETHNIC TROUBLE THERE WITH THE LOCALS RESENTFUL OF THE MONG REFUGEES (FROM LAOS) WHO
HAD SETTLED SEVERAL YEARS AGO. (THERE MUST ALSO BE SOME FRENCH CONCERN, AS THE QUAI MENTIONED TO LORD BELSTEAD (PARIS TELNO 143 PARA 3) THAT REFUGEES SETTLED IN GUIANA WILL HAVE AUTOMATIC ACCESS TO METROPOLITAN FRANCE AND ARE LIKELY TO GRAVITATE TO PARIS.)
STUMPF WENT STRAIGHT FROM PARIS TO FRENCH GUIANA WHERE HE
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CONFIDENTIAL