TNAG-0556-FCO40-651-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-into-othe-1975 — Page 164

Mr Pearson, ODM

CONFIDENTIAL

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HONG KONG:

1.

VIETNAM REFUGEES

The Hong Kong Government have been giving considerable thought to the possibility that refugees from the war in Vietnam will arrive in large numbers in the Colony. Hong Kong is, of course, several hundred miles from the scene of the fighting but the Vietnamese are a sea-faring people and the risk of considerable numbers of them arriving cannot be discounted.

2.

Contingency plans are now ready for dealing with such refugees and consist, in essence, of feeding and clothing them in a suitable transit camp in the Colony. Medical facilities will of course also be available in case of the sick and wounded. An essential part of the arrangement is that the Vietnamese will be treated as in transit to third countries since Hong Kong could not accept them permanently in view of the present strains on the social and economic infrastructure there. To accept them would, of course, also make it much more difficult to continue with the policy of returning illegal immigrants from China. Ministers here have agreed these plans.

3.

Hong Kong are clearly prepared to deal with the situation themselves and they have not asked us for any assistance. But the thought occurs to us that if the numbers are substantial i.e. thousands rather than hundreds, we should be ready to assist with

It seems to us that it would be entirely defensible for HMG to make available part of any funds foreseen for Vietnam humanitarian purposes to refugees outside Vietnam and there would be advantage in demonstrating to Hong Kong that the British public are aware of the strain on Hong Kong's financial resources and are prepared within reason to relieve them of some of the burden.

4.

As I have explained, this is merely a contingency operation at present but it would be helpful if the question of whether we could help in this way could now be explored. I might add that Hong Kong have also considered the possibility of refugees arriving from the Khmer Republic but this seems a less likely eventuality.

5. Canada has agreed to take some of the refugees if need be. There will be great moral pressure on others, e.g. Australia, to do

SO.

pulluftz

PL O'Keeffe

Hong Kong & Indian Ocean Dept,

15 April 1975

CONDINENMTAL