TNAG-0559-FCO40-654-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-into-othe-1975 — Page 285

布政司署

CONFIDENTIAL

By Bag.

香港下亞厘畢道

本署檔號 OUR REF.:

SCR 1/4821/75

* YOUr Ref.:

RKOVED IN

REGISTRY No. 51

2 2 AUG 1975

NXK 18/25

LAST

Eater

266

COLONIAL SECRETARIAT

LOWER ALBERT ROAD

HONG KONG

PA

BD

28/8

20th August, 1975

14/A

Jyle

Drum Lammer,

NEXT

REF.

221)

At the last Legislative Council meeting on 13th August, I was asked a question by Dr. S. Y. CHUNG, our leading Chinese Unofficial, about our efforts to resettle the Vietnamese refugees still in Hong Kong. I am enclosing a copy of the question, the answer which I gave, and the supplementaries. (The final Hansard version will not be available for a little time, so please accept my apologies for the format of the enclosures.)

2. As you will see, Dr. CHUNG was very quick to take up the question of how many refugees would be accepted by the U. K. Although none have yet gone there, I tried to balance the answer by referring to the grant which you have offered to help us pay for the cost of looking after the refugees while in transit here. Although most of the press concentrated on the substantive answer which I gave to Dr. CHUNG's question, the STANDARD highlighted the supplementary about British intentions and tried, inevitably, to suggest that the grant of money was a substitute for any actual places in Britain being offered to Vietnamese refugees here. A copy of the Standard article is attached. Subsequently, in Finance Committee (which is not held in public) Mr. T, S, LO hinted that he might arrange for a question to be asked in Parliament. A copy of the relevant extract

of the Minutes is attached.

3.

I understand from our Immigration Department that only 2 of the refugees proved to have family connections with Britain and although they originally wanted to go to the U. K. (our telegram No. VISA 11 of 17th May), they have now withdrawn their applications because their connection has moved to France and they wish to join her there. 111 other refugees who had no connections there, also initially expressed interest in going to Britain, but after a number of departures and changes of mind, 71 put their names forward and details were sent to you in our telegram No. 521 of 26th May. Subsequently, details of another four cases were transmitted to you in our telegram No. VISA 38 of 25th July.

C.S. 41A

P. L. O'Keefe Esq., CVO., H. K. & L. O. Department, F.C.O.,

London

CONFIDENTIAL

-Nor

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