CONFIDENTIAL
8858
1
LIGHT OF THE WILLINGNESS SHOWN BY OTHER COUNTRIES TO RESPOND TO
HONG KONG'S NEEDS AND OF ALL THE CIRCUMSTANCES AT THE TIME.
RESETTLEMENT OF THE FAMILY REUNION CASES IS ONLY IN ITS INITIAL
STAGES: IT IS TOO EARLY YET TO PREDICT WHAT DECISION HMG WILL
TAKE ON ADMITTING FURTHER REFUGEES.
HONG KONG OFFTAKE
6.
DESPITE ITS SEVERE POPULATION PRESSURES THE POSSIBILITY
OF FURTHER ABSORPTION OF ETHNIC CHINESE FROM CAMPS IN HONG KONG
IS RECEIVING CAREFUL AND SYMPATHETIC CONSIDERATION IN HONG KONG,
AND WE HOPE TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND POSITIVELY IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
AS IS WELL KNOWN AND APPRECIATED BY OTHER COUNTRIES, HONG KONG,
AS A PLACE OF FIRST ASYLUM, HAS ACCOMMODATED 110000 INDO-CHINESE BOAT REFUGEES SINCE 1975 AND HAS ITSELF ACCEPTED 14500 FOR
RESETTLEMENT.
RASRO TRANSIT CENTRE
7.
GRATEFUL FOR UNHCR'S CONFIRMATION THAT IT WOULD FUND ANY
SUCH CENTRE IN HONG KONG. THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT IS GIVING THE
PROPOSAL TO ESTABLISH A CENTRE ACTIVE AND SYMPATHETIC
CONSIDERATION. HOPE TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND POSITIVELY IN THE NEAR
FUTURE.
DIPLOMATIC CAMPAIGN
8.
AS THE HOME SECRETARY INDICATED IN SEPTEMBER, HMG HAS
URGED OTHER COUNTRIES TO ASSIST IN THE RESETTLEMENT PROCESS BY
ALLOCATING MORE PLACES TO REFUGEES IN HONG KONG. WE ARE GRATEFUL
TO THE COUNTRIES WHO HAVE ANNOUNCED INCREASES IN THEIR ALLOCATION
OF RESETTLEMENT PLACES FOR HONG KONG REFUGEES, AND HOPE OTHERS
WILL BE ABLE TO DO SO. GRATEFUL ALSO FOR UNHCR'S APPEAL FOR ALL
GOVERNMENTS TO MAKE SPECIAL RESETTLEMENT EFFORT TO ASSIST HONG
KONG.
HOWE
LIMITED
HKD
UND
SEAD
PS/MR RENTON
PS/PUS
SIR W HARDING
DR WILSON
COPIES TO:
HKGO LONDON
MR RAWSTHORNE, HOME OFFICE
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CONFIDENTIAL