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REGISTRY
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vely Taken
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TO PRIORITY WASHINGTON
TELNO 1979
OF 161045Z DECEMBER 85
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, UKMIS GENEVA, NEW YORK
YOUR TELELETTER (PRENTICE/LEEKS) OF 10 DECEMBER:
REFUGEES IN HONG KONG: US POLICY
VIETNAMESE
1.
SHE IMPLIES
WE FIND MS HECKLINGER'S LINE DISAPPOINTING.
THAT THE KEY THAT WILL DETERMINE WHETHER ADDITIONAL US
RESETTLEMENT ASSISTANCE CAN BE PROVIDED FOR HONG KONG IS THE
PERCENTAGE DECREASE IN HONG KONG'S REFUGEE POPULATION RELATIVE TO
THAT IN OTHER PLACES OF FIRST ASYLUM. THIS REALLY SEEMS BIZARRE:
SURELY IT IS THE OVERALL SIZE OF THE FIGURE WHICH MATTERS. HONG
KONG HAD THE LARGEST POPULATION OF VIETNAMESE BOAT REFUGEES IN
THE REGION A YEAR AGO, AND STILL HAS THE LARGEST POPULATION NOW,
DESPITE ITS 1985 DECREASE. IF WE TAKE THE TOTAL OF VIETNAMESE
REFUGEES IN HONG KONG ON 1 JANUARY 1985 PLUS NEW ARRIVALS IN HONG
KONG UP TO 31 OCTOBER, 26 PER CENT HAVE BEEN RESETTLED THIS YEAR. THE COMPARATIVE PERCENTAGE FOR MALAYSIA IS 46 PER CENT,
PHILIPPINES 32 PER CENT, INDONESIA 43 PER CENT, THAILAND 38 PER CENT, JAPAN 38 PER CENT AND SINGAPORE 76 PER CENT. IN OTHER
WORDS OFFTAKE IN THESE COUNTRIES IS MUCH HIGHER THAN IT IS IN
HONG KONG. THIS INDICATES THAT HONG KONG IS NOT GETTING A FAIR
DEAL FROM THE RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES, AND AS A CONSEQUENCE
HONG KONG'S VIETNAMESE REFUGEE POPULATION IS STILL THE HIGHEST IN
THE REGION. THE FACT THAT HONG KONG HAS RECORDED THE HIGHEST
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