TNAG-0556-FCO40-651-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-into-othe-1975 — Page 69

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TO PRIORITY OTTAWA TELNO. 173 OF 13 MAY 1975 INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG WASHINGTON STOCKHOLM COPENHAGEN WELLINGTON CANBERRA PEKING MANILA AND SINGAPORE (SAIGON UNIT).

MY TELEGRAM NO. 367 TO HONG KONG: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG

KONG.

1. PLEASE TELL THE CANADIAN AUTHORITIES THAT I AM VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT'S DECISION TO ACCEPT 200 OF THESE REFUGEES OUT OF THE 3,000 TOTAL THEY ARE WILLING TO ALLOW INTO CANADA.

2. PLEASE ALSO SAY THAT THE PROBLEM IN HONG KONG HAS NOW BECOME SO ACUTE (HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO. 451 TO THE FCO) THAT I HOPE THEY WILL BE PREPARED TO CONSIDER APPLICATIONS FROM OTHERS IN THE COLONY. I HAVE HAD RELUCTANTLY TO ACCEPT THAT HONG KONG CAN ACCEPT NO MORE UNTIL THERE IS A GUARANTEE FOR HOMES FOR THEM ELSEWHERE: AND REMIND THE CANADIAN AUTHORITIES THAT THESE REFUGEES ARE ADDITIONAL TO THE 36,000 IMMIGRANTS A YEAR FROM CHINA WHICH HONG KONG HAS TO ACCEPT, DESPITE PRESSURE ON ITS SOCIAL SERVICES.

3. 1 THEREFORE HOPE THE CANADIAN AUTHORITIES WILL GIVE URGENT AND SYMPATHETIC CONSIDERATION TO THE POSSIBILITY OF ABSORBING MORE FROM HONG KONG. YOU MIGHT EXPLAIN THAT WE ARE APPROACHING THE AMERICANS, AUSTRALIAN, NEW ZEALAND, SWEDISH AND DANISH GOVERNMENTS IN THE SAME SENSE. YOU SHOULD ALSO SAY THAT, DESPITE

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/OUR OWN