CONFIDENTIAL
18532 - 1
OCMIAN 8532
CONFIDENTIAL
PP WASHI
RR NEYOR
FM FCOLN TO WASHI
22090OZ OCT
GRS 605
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO PRIORITY WASHINGTON
TELNO 1676
OF 22090OZ OCTOBER 85
INFO HONG KONG, UKMIS GENEVA, NEW YORK
INFO SAVING HKGO LONDON
MICK z43/2
RECEIVED IN REGISTHY
2 40CT 1985
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
REGISTRY
PA
Action Taken
ख्
320 TELELETTER GOMERSALL/WALKER (HKD) OF 15 OCTOBER: VIETNAMESE
REFUGEES IN HONG KONG
1.
WE HAD A MEETING HERE ON 13 OCTOBER WITH VAN EGMOND
(SPECIAL ASSISTANT, BUREAU FOR REFUGEE PROGRAMS, US STATE
DEPARTMENT), WHO WAS IN LONDON ON HIS WAY BACK TO WASHINGTON FROM
GENEVA, WHERE HE HAD BEEN ATTENDING THE UNHCR EXCOM MEETING. HE
SAID THAT THE AMERICANS WELCOMED OUR DECISION TO TAKE MORE
REFUGEES FROM. HONG KONG AND WANTED TO BE HELPFUL: BUT THEIR
DECISION WOULD PROBABLY DEPEND PARTLY ON HOW MANY REFUGEES WE
WERE PREPARED TO TAKE IN ADDITION TO THE 500: AND ON HONG KONG'S
WILLINGNESS TO ABSORB SOME OF THE REFUGEES. HE SAID THEY WOULD
BE PRESSING US FOR MORE DETAILS ON THESE POINTS.
2.
IF THEY APPROACH YOU ON THIS, YOU SHOULD POINT OUT THAT
THE WHITE PAPER MAKES IT CLEAR THAT A DECISION ON RESETTLEMENT IN
THE UK IN EXCESS OF THE 500 FAMILY REUNION CASES WILL BE TAKEN IN
THE LIGHT OF THE WILLINGNESS SHOWN BY OTHER COUNTRIES TO RESPOND
TO HONG KONG'S NEEDS (PARA 29). THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAVE
SAID THAT THEIR DECISION ON ABSORPTION OF REFUGEES INTO HONG KONG
WILL SIMILARLY DEPEND ON OTHER COUNTRIES' RESPONSES TO OUR
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