TNAG-0559-FCO40-654-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-into-othe-1975 — Page 288

QUESTION NO. 1

REPLY BY THE HONOURABLE THE ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY

TO A QUESTION BY DR. THE HONOURABLE S.Y. CHUNG IN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON WEDNESDAY 13 AUGUST 1975

Sir,

We have so far approached over 20 other Governments

with a view to their absorbing some of these 4,000 refugees.

I would like especially to pay tribute to the Governments of Canada and France which have acted swiftly and competently and have already taken 356 and 323 refugees respectively. I should also mention Australia which has taken 208. The

United States of America has, of course, had by far the

largest problem and has absorbed an infinitely larger number

of Vietnamese refugees than any other country. But from Hong Kong it has so far absorbed only 559 and about half of these left only yesterday. A number of other countries have promised

or offered to take smaller numbers and consultations are

continuing. The United Nations High Commission for Refugees

is also being most helpful and has offered financial assistance.

The effect of all this has been to reduce the number

of refugees from just under 4,000 to 2450 as of today. Ve

still have a long way to go but we are hopeful that the USA

in particular will take many more quite soon including, I believe, 250 due to leave later this week. If so, it should

be possible to close down the Harcourt Road Camp and concentrate

the remaining refugees in Dodwell's Ridge and Sai Kung Camps.

Sir, may I add that these cold statistics do not reflect the human problems of these refugees; many of them are

becoming frustrated and dispirited with waiting and it is to be

hoped that those countries which have so far not made any

arrangements to assist in this problem will now make tangible

efforts to help; it is not just Hong Kong's problem but an international responsibility.