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5. More recently, remarks
remarks to anbrie
to anbritish Embassy official by a senior official of one of the main resettlement countries have confirmed earlier indications of that government's reluctance to do more to help Hong Kong unless the UK admits a greater number of refugees from the territory.
none
6. It is true that some of these indications amounts
on to a firm commitment by the government of a resettlement country that if Britain were to accept an additional number of Vietnamese refugees from Hong Kong it would itself allow entry of substantially higher numbers.
But I think the reason for that is quite straightforward. No Government would make that sort of commitment in purely indication hypothetical terms, in the absence of any clear implication of our own intentions. And we could only give that on the basis of a firm decision of principle to provide the necessary additional
If such
were to be resettlement places in the UK. Had a decision had been taken and that decision with of course be for the Home Secretary to take we in the FCO would make the most determined efforts to
matching decisions from other resettlement countries. The informal remarks recorded in our memorandum, and those to which I have just
such referred, give reason for hope that
for hope that this action would be forthcoming.
would
to secure
7. Would only add that the problem remains as urgent as ever for Hong Kong, and we are anxious to do all we can to alleviate it.
HKK 243/5
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