GPS270
CONFIDENTIAL
FM F C o 101851Z JAN 79
CONFIDENTIAL See (93,
TO HEIATE GOVERNOR HONG KONG
TELEGRAM NUMBER 26 OF 10 JANUARY
INFO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA,
HKK 243/1
RECEIVED IN REGISTR
1 1 JAN 1979
DESK OFF
INDEX
3.51
Action
en
80
FOR GOVERNOR FROM CORTAZZI.
63
No
iel
있도
YOUR TELEGRAM NO 62 (NOT TO UKMIS GENEVA) HUEY FONG.
1. THE HOME SECRETARY HAS DECIDED TO ADMIT TO THE UK 1,500 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES ON THE BASIS OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S REQUEST THAT 500 EACH BE TAKEN FROM HONG KONG, MALAYSIA AND THAILAND (OVER A 9-12 MONTH PERIOD), THIS WILL BE IN ADDITION TO THE UNITED KINGDOM'S CONTINUING COMMITMENT TO ACCEPT ULTIMATE RESPONSIBILITY FOR REFUGEES RESCUED BY U K-REGISTERED VESSELS.
2. I AM RECOMMENDING, HOWEVER, THAT THE 1,500 BE REALLOCATED AS FOLLOWS: 1,000 FROM HONG KONG AND 250 EACH FROM MALAYSIA AND
THAILAND. ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT THIS IS AGREED BY MINISTERS,
WOULD IT THEN BE YOUR INTENTION TO ALLOW THE HUEY FONG REFUGEES
TO DISEMBARK?
3. YOU SHOULD KNOW IT MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE FOR US TO BEGIN ACCEPTING ANY OF THE 1,500 UNTIL 1 APRIL, THOUGH WE SHALL DO WHAT WE CAN TO HAVE THIS DATE BROUGHT FORWARD,
4. WE PRESUME THE UNHCR WILL, AS THEY HAVE DONE IN THE PAST, KEET THE TRAVEL COSTS TO THE UK OF THE REFUGEES.
5. NO PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT HAS YET BEEN MADE HERE. WE ARE
DISCUSSING THIS WITH THE HOME OFFICE AND SHALL HOPE TO LET YOU
HAVE THE TEXT FOR COMMENT BEFORE IT IS ISSUED, WE SHALL ALSO BE ASKING SIR J MURRAY TO INFORM UNHCR.
T
OWEN
FILES
UNT)
HKIGD
SEA
D
PUSD OLD
NEWS D
MVD
PS/LORD GORONVY-
ROBERTS
PS/MRLUARD Psipus
SIR A-DUFF
MR CORTAZZI MR WEIR MRLEANY MR MURRAY
COPIES
то
LONDON
HONGKONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE MR BURLEIGH, HOME OFFICE.
QUEEN ANNE'S GATE MR BIRT, HOME OFFICE,
LUNAR HOUSE,
CONFIDENTIAL
CROYDON
2
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