TNAG-0586-FCO40-719-Aid-from-UK-for-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1976 — Page 3

28 JUL1976

H/K243/5218/1

GRPS 283

IMMEDIATE

CONFIDENTIAL

TOP COPY

99)

(28)

DESKBY (FCO AND UKMIS ENEVA) 260800Z

CYPHER CAT A

FM WASHINGTON 272155Z

CONFIDENTIAL,

DESKBY (FCO AND UKMIS GENEVA) 286869Z

LART RET

98

ແ

REF.

TO IMMEDIATE FCO TELEGRAM NUMBER 2584 OF 27 JULY,

AND TO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, ROUTINE RANGOON, TOKYO, KUALA LUMPUR, PEKING.

INFO SAVING HANO!.

94)

YOUR TELEGRAMS NUMBER 581 TO HONG KONG AND 1617 TO US: VIETNAMESE

REFUGEES,

1.

ACTION TAKEN WITH CUSHING (OFFICE OF INDO-CHINA REFUGEE PROGRAMS, STATE DEPARTMENT), ON 27 JULY.

HE WAS VERY GRATEFUL FOR THIS NEWS AND SAID THAT THE US CONSULATE-GENERAL AT HONG KONG WOULD NOW TAKE ''PROMPT ACTION TO PROCESS THE REFUGEES.

HE SAID THAT AS MANY AS POSSIBLE WOULD BE ADMITTED TO THE US ON THE ORDINARY** PROGRAMME. THE OTHERS WOULD BE ADMITTED UNDER THE P.7 SCHEME (FULL TITLE: 'CONDITIONAL ENTRY FOR ESCAPEES FROM COMMUNISM''). CUSHING DID NOT MENTION THE PROBLEM CF TWO-YEAR RE-ENTRY RIGHTS IN VIEW OF PARAGRAPH 2 (THOUGH WE GAVE HIM EVERY OPPORTUNITY).

OF YOUR TELNO 1617, NEITHER DID WE,

2. WE SAID THAT IN ACCEPTING THE REFUGEES, EVEN TEMPORARILY, HONG KONG WAS RISKING THE CONSEQUENCES FORESEEN IN THEIR TELNO 762.

CUSHING TOOK THIS POINT AND SAID THE AMERICANS REALISED THAT IF THOSE CONSEQUENCES AROSE, THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT COULD NOT SUSTAIN THEIR NEW POLICY,

CONFIDENTIAL

13. CUSHING