TNAG-0880-FCO40-1090-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 122

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REGISTRY NO. 51

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TELEGRAM NUMBER 36 OF 2 FEBRUARY

INFO PRIORITY GOVERNOR HONG KONG,

ROUTINE UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON, CANBERRA, KUALA LUMPUR,

SINGAPORE, BANGKOK AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON,

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MIPT (NOT TO ALL)

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280

YOUR TELS NOS 54 AND 55: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES,

1. FACILITIES HERE FOR THE RECEPTION OF REFUGEES WILL SOON BE

STRETCHED. THE UK OFFER OF 1,500 PLACES OVER A FIFTEEN MONTH PERIOD IS, AS YOU KNOW, BEING USED TO HELP HONG KONG, MALAYSIA AND THAILAND, WHO ARE THE MOST SERIOUSLY AFFECTED BY THE INDO-CHINA REFUGEE PROBLEM. WE NEED TO BEAR IN MIND TOO THE GOVERNMENT'S

CONTINUING COMMITMENT TO TAKE ULTIMATE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ALL

REFUGEES RESCUED BY SHIPS REGISTERED IN UK PORTS,

2. IN ORDER TO PROTECT OUR SOURCE, WE PREFER NOT TO DISSEMINATE THE INFORMATION IN HANOI TEL 29 (CAIE'S TELELETTER OF 22 JAN

TO BEALE REFERS), BUT IT WOULD BE REASONABLE TO POINT OUT, WITHOUT CLAIMING INSIDE INFORMATION ABOUT VIETNAMESE MOTIVES, THAT THERE HAVE BEEN NO RECENT LARGE SHIP-LOADS. YOU MAY ALSO DRAW ON HANOI TEL 46 IN CONVERSATION WITH FILIPINO OFFICIALS.

3. MVD HAVE RECEIVED YOUR VISAS 7, 15 AND 16 CONVEYING NAMES OF TWO FAMILIES TOTALLING 13 AND 7 PERSONS RESPECTIVELY. THERE MAY

BE ACCOMMODATION DIFFICULTIES, PARTICULARLY FOR THE FAMILY OF 13, SO THAT WE CANNOT PROMISE EARLY ADMISSION. YOU MAY WISH TO CHECK

INGLES' FIGURE OF 47 WITH UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE.

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