TNAG-0879-FCO40-1089-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 92

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PRO: FCO 1919072 JAN 79

PRIORITY CANBERRA

TELEGRAM NUMBER 35 OF 19 JANUARY

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AND TO PRIORITY WASHINGTON OTTAWA WELLINGTON OSLO BERNE VIENNA BRUSSELS THE HAGUE DUBLIN COPENHAGEN BONNUENOS AIRES BRASILIA TOKYO UKMIS GENEVA

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INFO IMMEDIATE GOVERNOR HONG KONG

INFO SAVING HANOI

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MY GUIDANCES 175 OF 22 DECEMBER, 1 OF 3 JANUARY, 3 OF 11 JANUAR AND 7 OF 18 JANUARY: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES

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1. THE 'HUEY FONG'', WITH 3,383 REFUGEES ABOARD (NOT 2,700 AS PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT) HAS NOW ENTERED HONG KONG TERRITORIAL WATERS

AND HAS BEEN DIRECTED TO A SHELTERED ANCHORAGE. FOLLOWING SOME

INITIAL ENQUIRIES AND PROCESSING OF THOSE ON BOARD, THE HONG

KONG GOVERNMENT WILL PERMIT THE REFUGEES TO LAND ON A TEMPORARY

BASIS PENDING RESETTLEMENT ELSEWHERE. THIS ACTION WAS TAKEN FOR

HUMANITARIAN REASONS AND DOES NOT SIGNIFY A CHANGE IN THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT'S POLICY ON THE ADMISSION OF BOAT REFUGEES (SEE PARA, 2 31_OF MY GUIDANCE 1). BUT THERE MUST BE A RISK THAT OTHER BOATS WILL

ADOPT THE SAME TACTICS, DESPITE THE MEASURES TAKEN BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT TO DETER THOSE ENGAGED IN THE REFUGEE TRAFFIC.

2. THERE ARE NOW OVER 5,000 REFUGEES (EXCLUDING THE ''HUEY FONG?" GROUP)

IN HONG KONG AWAITING RESETTLEMENT ELSEWHERE. THE NUMBER

13 GROWING DAILY.

3. THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S RECENT DECISION TO ADMIT TO THE UK

1,000 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG WILL HELP BUT ADDITIONAL RESETTLEMENT OFFERS FROM THIRD COUNTRIES ARE URGENTLY NEEDED TO

RELIEVE THE BURDEN ON THE TERRITORY.

4. UNLESS YOU SEE SERIOUS OBJECTION PLEASE APPROACH THE GOVERNEMENT

TO WHICH YOU ARE ACCREDITED, SPEAKING ON THE LINES OF THE PARAGRAPHS 1-3 ABOVE AND ADDING THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT AND HONG KONG

AUTHORITIES WOULD BE MOST GRATEFUL IF URGENT AND SYMPATHETIC

CONSIDERATION COULD BE GIVEN TO ACCEPTING VIETNAMESE REFUGEES

FROM HONG KONG FOR PERMANENT SETTLEMENT. WE WOULD EXPECT ANY OFFERS

OF RESETTLEMENT PLACES TO BE USED FOR THOSE ALREADY IN THE

QUEUE AND NOT FOR THE 'HUEY FONG''GROUP WHO WILL HAVE TO WAIT THEIR

TURN, YOU SHOULD STRESS THE PROBLEMS FACING HONG KONG WITH REGARD

TO THE INCREASING BACKLOG (DRAWING ON THE MATERIAL IN GUIDANCE

TELEGRAMS UNDER REFERENCE), AND POINT TO THE VERY SERIOUS DIFFICUL- T:ES CREATED BY THE FLOW OF IMMIGRANTS FROM CHINA (SOME 100,000 ALL TOLD IN 1978 ALONE).

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