TNAG-0556-FCO40-651-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-into-othe-1975 — Page 21

NOTE FOR FILE

cc: Mr O'Keeffe

CONFIDENTIAL

Reference.....

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG

1. Mr MacLaren of the British Embassy in Copenhagen telephoned me on the afternoon of 15 May.

2. He said he had approached the Danish Authorities as instructed over the questionof Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong. They were on the point of considering the whole issue of Vietnamese refugees in Cabinet. They, in common with other governments, had received an approach from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees about Vietnamese refugees and, in this connection, would like to know urgently: -

3.

(1) Whether HMG had approached the UNHCR about

Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong and

(2) Whether the approach from the UNHCR to

various governments covered these refugees.

After consulting Mr O'Keeffe, I rang Mr MacLaren and told him:-

4.

(1) HMG had not made any approach to the UNHCR and

2) We too had received an approach from the

UNHCR. This was couched in very general terms and we take it that the letter in question did cover inter alia the Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong.

Mr MacLaren said he would so inform the Danes and send us a telegram in due course about their reaction

15 May 1975

こ

DKE

DK Timms

Hong Kong and Indian Ocean Department

CONFIDENTIAL