TNAG-0878-FCO40-1088-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 44

GR155

UNCLASSIFIED

FM FCO 171155Z JAN 79

HKK 243/1 PA

TO IMMEDIATE GOVERNOR HONG KONG

No

TELEGRAM NUMBER 54 OF 17 JANUARY

Jors

Aza

AND TO BANGKOK KUALA LUMPUR AND UKMIS GENEVA

M

BO

1. THE DECISION WILL BE MADE PUBLIC AT 17/1430Z.

MY TELNOS 47 AND 48: ADMISSION OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES TO UK

2. THE TEXT OF THE ANSWER TO THE PQ REMAINS AS IN MY FIRST TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE.

3. ONLY ONE SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE HAS BEEN MADE TO THE PRESS NOTICE

IN MY SECOND TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE. THE THIRD SENTENCE OF PARAGRAPH 2 HAS BEEN REPLACED BY THE FOLLOWING:

QUOTE AT PRESENT THERE ARE SOME 50,000 BOAT REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM IN CAMPS IN MALAYSIA AND SOME 3,600 IN THAILAND. (IN THAILAND THERE ARE ALTOGETHER ESTIMATED TO BE ABOUT 138,000 REFUGEES, MOST OF WHOM CROSSED OVERLAND FROM LAOS, CAMBODIA AND VIETNAM). Oy 16 JANUARY THERE WERE 5,405 REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM IN HONG KONG AWAITING RESETTLEMENT. UNQUOTE.

4. SEPARATE INSTRUCTIONS WILL FOLLOW FOR OTHER ADDRESSEES,

OWEN

FILES UND

HK & GD

PS

PS/LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS PS/MR LUARD

PS/PUS

SEAD

FED

SAD

SIR A DUFF

EID (E)

MR CORTAZZI

PUSD

MR WEIR

OID

MR MURRAY

IPD

MR FIGG

NEWS D

KR LEAHY

NVD

3

COPIES TO

HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE MR BURLEIGH HOME OFFICE

LONDON

MR BIRT

QUEEN ANNE'S GATE HOME OFFICE

!

LUNAR HOUSE CROYDON