GRS 500
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PARIS 161925Z FEB 83
торсору
CONFIDEN HAL
RyR
TELEGRAM NUMBER 136 OF 16 FEBRUARY 1983
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
24
See 58
See (39 See Bi
See 32 34
MKK 243/2
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, WASHINGTONTM UKMIS NEW YORK, UKMIS GENEVA (AND HONG KONG REPRESENTATIVE), BRUSSELS (FOR HONGKONG REPRESENTATIVE) AND GEORGETOWN.
HONG KONG TEL NO 5 TO PARIS AND TELECON DUNCAN/SMITH: PROPOSED RESETTLEMENT OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN FRENCH GUIANA
1. THOUGHT IT BEST FOR US TO APPROACH THE DOM-TOMS BEFORE LORD BELSTEAD'S TALKS WITH THE QUA TOMORROW. MONTPEZAT, THE DIRECTOR FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS AT THE DOM-TOMS, WAS NOT AVAIL- ABLE TO SEE ANYONE TODAY BUT THE HEAD OF CHANCERY SPOKE TO HIM ON THE TELEPHONE ON THE LINES OF PARA 6 OF HONG KONG TUR.
2. ALTHOUGH POLITE, MONTPEZAT REACTED WITH VEHEMENCE. HE DID NOT UNDERSTAND HOW DR STUMPF COULD HAVE MADE THE CLAIMS HE DID IN HIS PRESS CONFERENCE. THE FRENCH AUTHORITIES IN GUIANA HAD MADE IT COMPLETELY CLEAR THAT THERE WAS NO POSSIBILITY OF RESETTLING REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG. THEY AND THE DOM-TOM IN PARIS HAD HAD PLENTY OF EXPERIENCE OF THIS SORT OF OPERATION WHEN THE SETTLEMENT OF 900 MONGS IN GUIANA HAD AROUSED STRONG LOCAL OPPOSITION. IT WAS NOT A QUESTION OF FUNDS BUT OF LOCAL HOSTILITY WITH ALL THE POLITICAL PROBLEMS THIS IMPLIED. IF DR STUMPF'S PROPOSALS FOUND FAVOUR WITH SOME OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY, HIT WAS BECAUSE THERE WERE NO DOUBT BUSINESSMEN WILL- ING TO TAKE ON CHEAP VIETNAMESE LABOUR. THE FRENCH AUTHORITIES, HOWEVER, WERE NOT DISPOSED TO HELP SUCH BUSINESSMEN IN GUIANA TO EXPLOIT THE PLIGHT OF REFUGEES.
3. MONTPEZAT RECOGNISED THAT THERE WAS A SERIOUS PROBLEM IN HONG KONG AND SYMPATHISED WITH ALL ATTEMPTS TO SOLVE IT. BUT THE FRENCH WERE DOING THEIR PART IN ACCEPTING REFUGEES FROM SOUTH EAST ASIA AND COULD DO NO MORE IN FRENCH GUIANA.
4. MONTPEZAT NOTED THAT LORD BELSTEAD MCGHT RAISE THE PROBLEM WITH THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE QUAI TOMORROW. HE WAS HIMSELF READY TO GIVE THE EMBASSY A MORE DETAILED EXPLANATION OF THE FRENCH POINT OF VIEW IF HE WISHED.
CONFIDENHAL
17 FFF 1963
/COMMENT
No. 51
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