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SOURCE OF YOUR FIGURE. BUT GIVEN THE DISCREPANCY WITH UNHCR'S RECORDS HERE, WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD CHANGE POINT (111) TO READ QUOTE IN RESPONSE TO SCORRI'S RECOMMENDATION HMG HAVE DECIDED TO ACCEPT FOR RESETTLEMENT VIETNAMESE REFUGEES WHO HAVE RELATIVES IN THE UK BUT WHO DO NOT QUALIFY FOR ADMISSION UNDER NORMAL CRITERIA. THE NUMBER OF REFUGEES INVOLVED IS AROUND 500
MOST OF WHOM ARE IN HONG KONG. UNQUOTE.
WE PRESUME IT IS NOW TOO LATE TO ADJUST THE FIGURE PUBLISHED IN THE WHITE PAPER. IF QUESTIONED ON IT, WE SUGGEST THAT THE ANSWER SHOULD BE THAT THE FIGURE INEVITABLY FLUCTUATES WITH NEW ARRIVALS AND RESETTLEMENT BUT THE LATEST FIGURES SHOW THAT THE NUMBER GOING TO THE UK FROM HONG KONG IS LIKELY TO BE CLOSE TO 500.
NEW POINT (IV) A: HONG KONG'S SHARE OF THE US REGIONAL RESETTLEMENT OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES HAS BEEN DECREASING SIGNIFICANTLY FROM 18
PER CENT IN 1982 TO 7 PER CENT IN 1983 AND 4 PER CENT IN 1984.
DESPITE THE FACT THAT IS HAS THE GREATEST NUMBER OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN THE REGION, ONLY 3,694 LEFT HONG KONG IN 1984 COMPARED TO 10,460 FROM MALAYSIA, 6901 FROM INDONESIA AND 6,659 FROM THAILAND.
NEW POINT (V)A: IF THE US RESPONSE IS THAT IT CANNOT POSSIBLE INCREASE
IT'S VIETNAMESE REFUGEE INTAKE THIS YEAR, THEN COULD THE US RE- ALLOCATE TO HONG KONG MORE UNUSED RESETTLEMENT PLACES FROM OTHER COUNTRIES IN THE REGION (HONG KONG RECENTLY BENEFITTED FROM JUST SUCH A REALLOCATION WHEN THE US OFFERED AN ADDITIONAL 250 PLACES TO HONG KONG IN AUGUST AND AN ADDITIONAL 50 IN SEPTEMBER).
2. IN DUE COURSE, WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD COPY THESE TELEGRAMS TO THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICES IN LONDON, BRUSSELS, GENEVA, NEW YORK AND WASHINGTON.
YOUDE
LIMITED
HED
SEAD
UND
MOSTIM ZW
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COPIES TO
HKGO LONDON