TNAG-0558-FCO40-653-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-into-othe-1975 — Page 6

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CONFIDENTIAL

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I only hope that there is some substance in the recent Hong Kong newspaper reports that 800 of the refugees will soon be leaving for the United States. At least this would somewhat lighten the continuing financial burden of running the camps, in addition to giving a much-needed boost to morale. It is also encouraging that about 50 of the refugees may soon be repatriated (paragraph 4 of your telegram 258 number 25). But a very substantial rump is clearly going

to remain; and we are well aware that, in order to help you in a further diplomatic effort to resettle them, we shall need to be able to show that we ourselves have done our bit. We have particularly noted that record of Mr McManaway's comments at the meeting in the Director 254) of Immigration's Office on 25 July.

5. Finally I was shocked to learn from your letter of 6 August that you were still awaiting payment of the two grants.

I have now sorted this out and we have been assured that £70,000 is being paid into the Hong Kong account at the Crown Agents forthwith. We have, of course, briefed News Department on the error in the Times article where it referred to one $HK 240,000 contribution only and would be grateful if you could take opportunities to put the record straight at your end. When we agreed the figure of £70,000 with the ODM we hoped it might be approaching half the cost of maintaining those refugees remaining after the exodus to the United States. I am perfectly prepared to go back to the ODM for further assistance should this be thought desirable; but I am bound to say that in an ideal world our efforts would be more usefully employed helping you to find permanent homes for them.

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cc:

DJ Moss Esq

THE HAGUE

F SE Trew Esq

Caribbean Department

PL O'Keeffe

Hong Kong and Indian Ocean Department

CONFIDENTIAL