TNAG-0557-FCO40-652-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-into-othe-1975 — Page 89

GRS 300 PRIORITY

CYPHER CAT/A

FM HONG KONG 220200Z

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

RECEIVED

ISTRY No.52 22 MAY 1975

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TO PRIORITY F C O TELEGRAM NUMBER 507 OF 22 MAY INFO PRIORITY CANBERRA, ROUTINE SINGAPORE, WELLINGTON, WASHINGTON AND PEKING.

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YOUR TELEGRAM NO 396 (NOT REPEATED ELSEWHERE) AND CANBERRA TELEGRAM NO 443 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG.

WE HAVE HAD ONLY ONE REFUGEE WHO HAS EXPRESSED A WISH TO RETURN TO VIETNAM. IT IS NOT CERTAIN THAT HE UNDERSTOOD THE

QUESTION.

2. ON THE OTHER HAND, THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW ANXIOUS ENQUIRIES ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF COMPULSORY REPATRIATION,

3. WHEN THE REFUGEES ON BOARD CLARA MAERSK ARRIVED IN HONG KONG, THEY WERE GIVEN AN ASSURANCE THAT THEY WOULD BE SAFE IN HONG KONG UNTIL THEIR RESETTLEMENT HAD BEEN ARRANGED ELSEWHERE. THEY WERE SPECIFICALLY TOLD THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE SENT BACK TO VIETNAM

AGAINST THEIR WILL.

4. IT IS TOO EARLY YET TO FORECAST:

(A) HOW MANY REFUGEES WE SHALL BE ABLE TO RESETTLE ELSEWHERE: AND (B) HOW THOSE WHO ARE HERE WOULD REACT TO A PROPOSAL THAT THEY

WOULD BE FREE TO RETURN TO VIETNAM WITHOUT FEAR OF PERSECUTION,

5. BUT IT IS UNLIKELY THEY COULD BE PERSUADED TO GO VOLUNTARILY

UNTIL:-

(A) THEIR HOPES OF RESETTLEMENT ELSEWHERE HAVE FADED AND THEIR

DISSATISFACTION WITH THEIR SITUATION HERE HAS INCREASED: AND (B) THEY ARE ABLE TO FORM A VIEW ON CONDITIONS IN VIETNAM BASED ON THEIR OWN NEWS OR ON CURS OR BOTH. I FEAR THIS WILL BE A

MATTER OF MONTHS RATHER THAN WEEKS.

CONFIDENTIAL

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