TNAG-0586-FCO40-719-Aid-from-UK-for-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1976 — Page 75

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GRS 250

PRIORITY

CYPHER CAT/A

FM HONG KONG 200550Z

CONFIDENTIAL

со

CONFIDENTIAL

BY RO. ST 20 JUL176

HKK243/1267

TO PRIORITY F C O TELEGRAM NO 723 OF 20 JULY INFO PRIORITY WASHINGTON AND UKMIS GENEVA INFO SAVING HANOI (VIENTIANE PLEASE PASS).

LAST

REF.

WASHINGTON TELEGRAM NO 2474 TO YOU: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES,

IN ORDER TO HELP OUR EMBASSY DEAL WITH THESE PROTESTS FROM CHARITABLE ORGANISATIONS, YOU MAY WISH TO REPEAT OUR TELEGRAM NO 702 OF 13 JULY TO WASHINGTON.

2. AGAINST THE BACKGROUND OF HONG KONG'S IMMIGRATION PROBLEMS, EMBASSY MIGHT CARE TO CONCENTRATE ON THE POSITION SET OUT IN PARAGRAPH 5 OF OUR TELEGRAM NO 717 AND TO STRESS THAT DURING THE PAST YEAR HONG KONG HAS:

(A) PROVIDED A TEMPORARY HOME (IN SOME CASES FOR UP TO ONE YEAR)

FOR THE 4,200 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES WHO CAME HERE ON THE 'CLARA MAERSK AND OTHER VESSELS:

(B) GRANTED PERMISSION FOR ABOUT 5,000 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM

VIETNAM TO REMAIN IN HONG KONG PERMANENTLY: AND

(C) GRANTED PERMISSION TO 32,000 IMMIGRANTS, ARRIVING BOTH

LEGALLY AND ILLEGALLY, FROM CHINA TO REMAIN IN HONG KONG PERMANENTLY.

3. ALL THESE EFFORTS HAVE PLACED A GREAT STRAIN ON A SMALL, OVERCROWDED TERRITORY AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT FEELS THAT

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IT SHOULD NOT BE ASKED, BECAUSE OF THE FAILURE OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO HELP, TO SHOULDER THE BURDEN OF CARING FOR A FURTHER SUBSTANTIAL INFLOW OF PEOPLE FROM VIETNAM.

ROBERTS

FILES

HKD (3)

SEAD

SA

MR CORTAZZI

MR MALE

CONFIDENTIAL

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