TNAG-0557-FCO40-652-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-into-othe-1975 — Page 119

GPS 140

IMMEDIATE

CYPHER CAT A

RECEIVED. REGISTRY No. 50

20 MAY 1975

CONFIDENTIAL

LAST

REF.

96

NEXT REF.

OPCY

NICK NUKK 18/25

112

01

1 (126

FM CANBERRA 198450Z

CONFIDENTIAL

TO IMMEDIATE FCO TEL NO 443 OF 19 MAY INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG AND SAVING TO SINGAPORE, WELLINGTON, WASHINGTON AND PEKING. MY TEL NO 439: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG.

1. FIRST ASSISTANT SECRETARY, DFA, SUMMONED HEAD OF CHANCERY TODAY TO CONVEY MESSAGE FROM MR WHITLAM THAT BEFORE MATTER WAS CONSIDERED

FURTHER, MR WHITLAM WOULD LIKE TO KNOW-

(A) WHETHER BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAD ASKED NEW GOVERNMENT IN SAIGON

IF VIETNAMESE IN HONG KONG COULD RETURN TO VIETNAM WITH A GUAR-

ANTEE OF SAFETY: AND

(B) WHETHER HONG KONG AUTHORITIES HAD ASCERTAINED HOW MANY REFUGEES

MIGHT WISH TO RETURN TO VIETNAM IF SUCH GUARANTEE OF SAFETY WERE

AVAILABLE.

2. BARDER UNDERTOOK TO REPORT QUESTIONS AND SEEK EARLY REPLIES.

FCO PLEASE PASS SAVING TO WASHINGTON AND PEKING.

JAMES

FILES

HKIOD

NAM D

SE ASIA D

SWPD

MVD

WED

DEFENCE DEPT NEWS DEPT UND CONSULAR DEPT

[REPEATED AS REQUESTED]

CONS EM UNIT

PS

COPIES TO:

MR BLANKS DS11 MOD

PS/LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS

PS/MR ENNALS

PS/MISS LESTOR

PS/MR HATTERSLEY PS/PUS

MR WILFORD MR MALE

MR EDMONDS

SIR D WATSON MR LARMOUR MR HAWLEY

MR FITZGERALD HOME OFFICE

MR R MACDOWALL HOME OFFICE

MR WATTS COMMUNITY

PROGRAMME OFFICE,

HOME OFFICE

MR KIDD, HONG KONG GOVT

OFFICE

[COPIES SENT TO NO 10 DOWNING STREET)

CONFIDENTIAL

PA

B

1676