OCMIAN 8160
CONFIDENTIAL
PP VIENN
FM FCOLN TO VIENN
18140OZ OCT
GRS 264
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO PRIORITY VIENNA
TELNO 146
OF 18140OZ OCTOBER 85
CONFIDENTIAL
273
INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG, UKMIS GENEVA
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18160
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YKK 24312
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
2 2 OCT 1985
DESK OFFICER INDEX
PA
RECISTRY
Action Taken
YOUR TELNO 112: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG
KEN WOODHOUSE, A HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL WHO HAS
BEEN ATTENDING THE RECENT EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING OF UNHCR
IN GENEVA AS A MEMBER OF THE UK DELEGATION, HAS ASKED US TO PAS
TO YOU THE FOLLOWING ACCOUNT OF HIS DISCUSSION WITH THE
AUSTRIAN REPRESENTATIVE:
BEGINS
I MET DR ERICH KUSSBACK FROM THE AUSTRIAN FOREIGN
MINISTRY ON 11 OCTOBER.
HE SAID THAT HE WAS SYMPATHETIC TO HONG KONG'S POSITION,
BUT THIS WAS A MATTER FOR THE MINISTER OF THE INTERIOR. HE WOULD
HAND MY SPEAKING NOTE TO HIM ON HIS RETURN TO VIENNA. HOWEVER,
AUSTRIA'S PRESSING REFUGEE PROBLEMS FROM EASTERN EUROPE MEANT
THAT HE WAS NOT OPTIMISTIC ABOUT A FAVOURABLE RESPONSE.
I SAID THAT I UNDERSTOOD AUSTRIA'S DIFFICULTIES BUT WOULD
BE GRATEFUL IF HE WOULD ASK THE MINISTER OF THE INTERIOR TO
CONSIDER TAKING THE 21 FAMILY REUNION CASES IN HONG KONG WITH
CLOSE RELATIVES IN AUSTRIA. HE SAID THAT THIS WAS PROBABLY A
REALISTIC PROPOSAL AND HE WOULD RECOMMEND THAT AUSTRIA ACCEPT
THESE 21 IN RESPONSE TO THE UK INITIATIVE.
I THINK THAT WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO PRESS GENTLY FOR THESE
FAMILY REUNION CASES. WE COULD KEEP THE PRESSURE ON IN HONG KONG
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