CONFIDENTIAL
33
C.S. 41A
布政司署
GOVERNment SECRETARIAT
LOWER ALBERT ROAD
HONG KONG
香港下亞
畢道
2 March, 1977
*** OUR Ref.: CR 2/4821/75 II
RECEIVED IN
來函檔號 YOUR REF.:
BY NO. 51
J A B Stewart Esq OBE
Hong Kong Department
F CO
Dear John,
шкканз/332/1
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES: THE "BOAT" PEOPLE
CC by Samuel FED w withen in Dew/3 then P.A
Aur. At organ, VAD
£
NEXT
RCF.
Jaim
4/3.
May wish to fee.
27. In Days
Thank you.
As a follow-up to my letter to you of 9 February, you may wish to know that we have been in touch with the UNHCR's representative from Kuala Lumpur about the transit of Vietnamese boat refugees who are to be resettled in the United States.
2.
Sampat kumar came here from Kuala Lumpur over the Chinese New Year and our immigration people had discussions with him on 22 February.
M
I have given
The gist of this to the UNHCR
Rep. Who was
This was procesating. "Phangan
He also talked with representative king how of ICEM, since they will be responsible for air bookings both The mather to Hong Kong and on to the United States. This is helpful to us because we shall be able to monitor and if necessary vary the operation simply by keeping in close touch with Stewart, the local ICEM man. Finally, Sampatkumar has been in touch with the US Consulate-General. Both we and Sampatkumar have been impressing on the Americans that we attach importance to being able to answer questions, for example from the press, that the transitting of these people through Hong Kong is an UNHCR arrangement and that so far as we are concerned it is just another routine immigration matter.
3
We were pleased with our talks with Sampatkumar who has got a good "feel" of the situation and our particular anxieties. We are agreed that the whole arrangement will need to be kept under constant review and that adjustment may have to be made in the light of experience. He fully agrees about the need to avoid Hong Kong becoming a "dumping ground" or being seen as a clearance point for migration to the USA. our part we shall be watching the local feeling and keeping an eye on the political climate.
4.
For
'ind
Finally, Sampatkumar got the impression from talking to the Americans that it could well be several weeks before Washington issues the basic instructions which are a prerequisite for any further action by the US Consul-General and the US Immigration and Naturalisation Service housed in the US Consulate- General.
cc Chanceries WASHINGTON & PEKING
Your ever, грат
Alan
(A E Donald)
7/3
UKMIS GENEVA
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