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GRS 250
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM CANBERRA 29071OZ JUL 83
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 374 OF 29 JULY
TICK 245/2
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
16 AUG 1983
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
INFO IMMEDIATE PARIS, WASHINGTON, ROUTINE OTTAWA, UKMIS GENEVA, HONG KONG
198)
YOUR TELNO 1269 TO WASHINGTON: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG
1. WE HAVE SPOKEN TO THE DFA AS INDICATED IN YOUR TUR. THE DFA ARE VERY WELL ACQUAINTED WITH THE HONG KONG REFUGEE PROBLEM AND HAVE GIVEN A STRONG BRIEF TO THE AUSTRALIAN REPRE- SENTATIVE AT THE HONOLULU CONFERENCE TO PRESS THE AMERICANS TO TAKE FULL ACCOUNT OF THE PARTICULAR PROBLEMS OF HONG KONG. THE AUSTRALIAN BRIEF INCLUDES A REFERENCE TO THE COMPARATIVE FAILURE OF VIETNAMESE RESETTLEMENT IN THE UK AND A RECOMMEND- ATION THAT ANY INCREASE IN TAKE-OFF FROM HONG KONG SHOULD NOT BE MADE CONDITIONAL ON INCREASED RESETTLEMENT IN THE UK.
2. THE DFA UNDERSTAND THAT FRANCE WILL NOT NOW ATTEND THE CONFERENCE SINCE THE FRENCH ARE DISSATISFIED WITH AMERICAN ANSWERS TO A LENGTHY QUESTIONNAIRE ON THE REFUGEE PROBLEM SUBMITTED BY FRANCE RECENTLY. FRANCE APPARENTLY DOES NOT SEE THE US ATTITUDE AS A POSITIVE ONE. THE AUSTRALIANS, WHO REGARD THE CONFERENCE WITHOUT EUROPEAN PARTICIPATION AS BEING UNBAL- ANCED, HAVE ASKED THE US TO APPROACH THE FRG WITH A VIEW TO THE GERMANS SENDING A DELEGATE.
3. IT IS CLEAR THAT THE AUSTRALIANS INTEND TO BE HELPFUL
ON HONG KONG AT THE CONFERENCE. HOWEVER IT SEEM UNLIKELY
PA
لله
REGISTRY
Action Taken
执
thing woll
THAT THEY WILL BE GOING TO HONOLULU WITH ANY AUTHORITY TO INCREASE THEIR OWN QUOTA OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES. IF ANYTHING THEY WILL BE SEEKING TO IMPRESS ON THE OTHER PARTICIPANTS THEIR VIEW THAT THE MAJORITY OF THOSE NOW LEAVING VIETNAM SHOULD BE CATEGORISED AS MIGRANTS RATHER THAN REFUGEES.
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