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HKK 243/1
BREEAMED IN REGISTRY NO. 51 - 9 JAN1979
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DESKBY 091145Z (BOTH)
FM HONG KONG 091109Z JAN 79
TO IMMEDIATE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE TELNO.64 OF 9 JANUARY,
INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA,
PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON.
(58)
UKMIS GENEVA TELNO.4 TO F.C.0 (NOT TO HONGAID) :
''HUEY FONG''.
IT
1. SIR JAMES MURRAY WILL WISH TO KNOW THAT THE GOVERNOR'S REPLY CF 6TH JANUARY TO THE DEPUTY HIGH COMMISSIONER'S LETTER BRIEFLY REHEARSED THE CONTRIBUTION WHICH HONG KONG HAS ALREADY MADE TO HUMANE AND ORDERLY HANDLING OF THE PROBLEM OF BOAT REFUGEES. REITERATES THAT WE CANNOT AFFORD TO ABANDON THE FIRST PORT OF CALL POLICY SINCE THE INEVITABLE CONSEQUENCES WOULD BE THAT HONG KONG WOULD BECOME THE DESTINATION OF ALL THOSE WHO CLAIM THEY HAVE PICKED UP SURVIVORS OF SHIPWRECKS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA.
SUCH A SITUATION WOULD PLACE AN INTOLERABLE BURDEN ON OUR RESOURCES
AND MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR US TO CARRY ON WITH OUR PREVIOUS GENEROUS
POLICY.'' THE REPLY ALSO HINTS AT LEGISLATION WE ARE PLANNING
TO. INTRODUCE TOMORROW.
2. GRATEFUL IF SIR JAMES MURRAY COULD BE ASKED TO MAKE THE
FOLLOWING ADDITIONAL POINTS TO HARTLING:
HKK 341/1R
(A) FROM 1 NOVEMBER 1978 TO 8 JANUARY 2168 SMALL BOAT REFUGEES
ARRIVED IN HONG KONG. MANY OF THESE HAVE APPARENTLY SPENT A
CONSIDERABLE PERIOD IN CHINA BUT WE ARE NOT OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE
CHANCES OF PERSUADING THE CHINESE TO ACCEPT SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS
BACK (PEKING TELNO.1 TO HONG KONG, NOW BEING REPEATED TO UKMIS GENEVA). DURING THE SAME PERIOD, ONLY 275 DIRECT ARRIVALS WHO
HAVE BEEN UNDER UNHCR CARE IN HONG KONG HAVE LEFT FOR NEW
HOMES OVERSEAS.
CONFIDENTIAL
/ (B) IT
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