TNAG-0557-FCO40-652-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-into-othe-1975 — Page 137

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TO PRIORITY FCO TELNO 439 OF 16 MAY INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, SINGAPORE AND INFO SAVING WELLINGTON, WASHINGTON, PEKING, MIPT: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG.

1. HEAD OF CHANCERY TODAY PASSED TO ROGERS FAS, DFA INFORMATION ABOUT UNHCR IN PARA 7 OF HONG KONG TELNO 1 TO BONN. ROGERS SAID IT COULD COMPLICATE AUSTRALIAN CONSIDERATION OF OUR APPEAL SINCE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT SET GREAT STORE BY WORKING THROUGH UNHCR, AS MR WHITLAM AND SENATOR WILLESEE HAD EMPHASISED IN PARLIAMENT 86 (MIPT AND MY TELNO 433). SPEAKING PERSONALLY, BARDER THOUGHT CHINESE

AND UNHCR ATTITUDES TO CHINESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG MIGHT DIFFER FROM THOSE TOWARDS VIETNAMESE, BUT IT MIGHT STILL BE DIFFICULT FOR UNHCR TO PLAY DIRECT ROLE IN RE-SETTLING THEM. ROGERS SAID AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT WOULD CONSIDER THIS NEW INFORMATION BUT HE COULD NOT

PROMISE EARLY RESPONSE TO OUR APPEAL.

2. IN VIEW OF SENATOR WILLESEE'S REFERENCE TO HONG KONG, MR WHITLAM'S CAUTIOUS APPROACH AND HIS DETERMINATION TO SHELTER BEHIND UNHCR, YOU MAY WISH TO CONSIDER ARRANGING REPRESENTATIONS BY ICEM, DIRECT OR THROUGH UNHCR, TO AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT IN SUPPORT OF OUR APPEAL. A DIRECT REQUEST FROM UNHCR WOULD BE BETTER STILL (SEE MIPT). SUPPORT FROM AMERICANS (PARA 5 CF WASHINGTON TELNO 1711)

SHOULD ALSO BE HELPFUL.

3. GRATEFUL IF HONG KONG WOULD TELEGRAPH ANY INFORMATION ABOUT NUMBERS OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES (A) APPLYING FOR SETTLEMENT IN AUSTRALIA AND (B) CLAIMING CONNECTIONS WITH AUSTRALIA, INCLUDING (C) THOSE WHO MAY QUALIFY UNDER PRESENT AUSTRALIAN CRITERIA FOR ACCEPTANCE (IE REFUGEES WITH SPOUSES OR CHILDREN WHO ARE AUSTRALIAN

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