TNAG-0878-FCO40-1088-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 76

2.

RESTRICTED

་

THE HIGH COMMISSIONER DESCRIBED THIS AS A POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT. UNHCR WOULD RESPOND BY SENDING A MISSION TO DISCUS MODALITIES WITH THE VIETNAMESE. AN ORCANISED FLOW WITH AN EM ASIS ON FAMILY REUNIFICATION WOULD SLOW DOWN THE EXODUS THOUGH IT WOULD BE SOME MONTHS BEFORE THIS WOULD BE FELT. MEANWHILE IT WAS ESSENTIAL TO KEEP THE QUEUE MOVING BY INCREASED OFFERS OF PLACES WHICH WERE NOT KEEPING PACE WITH ARRIVALS. ALTHOUGH PEOPLE ALLOWED TO LEAVE FREELY WOULD NOT STRICTLY FÄLL WITHIN HIS MANDATE, THE HIGH COMMISSSIONER WAS PREPARED TOLEND HIS GOOD OFFICES WHILST MAKING IT CLEAR THAT UNHCR COULD NOT BECOME A CHANNEL THROUGH WHICH VIETNAM OFF-LOADED ULANTED PEOPLE.

3. THE FRENCH AMBASSADOR SUPPORTED BY HIS FRG COLLEAGUE FELT THAT THE VIETNAMESE MESSAGE HAD COMPLEX IMPLICATIONS FOR SITUATIONS ELSEWHERE AND THAT AS MANY OF THE REFUGEES AS POSS IBLE SHOULD REMAIN IN THE REGION.

4. THE LATEST STATISTICAL TABLES (COPY BY BAG)

WERE ALSO CIRCULATED. THEY SHOWED A TOTAL OF

THE

38,030 OFFERS OF RESETTLEMENT PLACES AS OF 15 JANUARY. HIGH COMMISSIONER WAS HEARTENED BY THE INCREASE OF 35,333 SINCE BEFORE THE DECEMBER CONSULTATIONS, BUT EMPHASISED THAT ALL THE 220,000 REFUGEES IN THE REGION MUST IN TIME BE RESETTLED. THE US ANNOUNCED THAT THEY HOPED TO INCREASE THE FLOW TO 7,833 PER MONTH AND TO COMMIT THEMSELVES TO ANOTHER 53,000 AFTER 33 APRIL. BUT THIS WOULD BE MUCH EASIER TO SELL TO CONGRESS IF OTHER COUNTRIES COULD MAKE A PARALLEL CONTINUING COMMITMENT. THE US WOULD TAKE 1,603 FROM HONG KONG BY THE END OF MARCH,

·

5. WE TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO STRESS THE SPECIAL BURDEN CARRIED BY HONG KONG AND THE NEED TO BEAR ITS INTERESTS IN

MIND.

FCO PLEASE PASS SAVING TO VBANGKOK, SINGAPORE, KUALA LUMPUR,

PEKING JAKARTA, WASHINGTON. CANDERA, PARIS.

CHANOI, MANILA,

MACINNES

FILES

UND

HK v GD SEAD

FED SAD

EID (E)

FUSD

CID

IPD

[REPEATED AS REGIJESTED THES

NEWS.D

MY D

PS

PS/LORD GORONWY ROBINSON

PS/HR LUARD

PS PUS

SIR A DUFF'

MR CORTAZZI

MA WEIRA.

HR MURRAY

STRICTED

To:

HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE

MR BURLEIGH

LONDON

HOME OFFICE QUEEN ANNES ĜATE

MR BIRT HOME OFFICE

KUNAR HOUSE

CROYDON).