TNAG-0559-FCO40-654-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-into-othe-1975 — Page 48

CONFIDENTIAL

UNCLASSIFIED

Reference...........

HERID

ふう

Mr Attewell, News Dept

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG

1.

We spoke about the changing refugee situation in Hong Kong.

2. The latest official figures on total numbers remaining we thow that there were just over 1200 left in the various camps on 2 October. The Political Adviser, commenting on this figure, added that there were hopes that the Americans would be taking several 100 more. We have now agreed to take about 150, so the residue of those with nowhere to go may now be down to around the 800 mark.

Belgium 14; New Zealand 1;

(The total

3. The latest round-up on which countries have accepted refugees is somewhat out-of-date, being the position on 16 September. It reads as follows: Australia 208; Austria 10; Canada 370; Denmark 100; France 340; Germany 1; Switzerland 1; Taiwan 1; USA 1054; Hong Kong 103. remaining at that time was just over 1700).

4. You asked about the state of the camps. The latest inform- ation on this is dated 3 September. The Hong Kong authorities were, at that time, running two camps, with some 1900 refugees in family groups at one large camp and some 300 single men in a much smaller camp. The Assistant Political Adviser in Hong Kong commented that the refugees, particularly the single men, were undoubtedly bored and frustrated and that morale had deteriorated.

14 October 1975

R B JANVRIN

Hong Kong and Indian Ocean

Department

(K 245 MA 632)