TNAG-0880-FCO40-1090-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 168

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FM BUENOS AIRES 3615287 JAN 79

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 38 OF 31 JANUARY

HKK 243

RESTRICTED

1.51

- 2 FEB 1979

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No Jor

AND TO PRIORITY GOVERNOR HONG KONG

INFO CANBERRA WASHINGTON OTTAWA WELLINGTON OSLO BERNE VIENNA BRUSSELS THE HAGUE DUBLIN COPENHAGEN BONN BRASILIA, TOKYO AND

UKMIS GENEVA,

.201

YOUR TELNO 36 TO CANBERRA: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES

1.

ACTION TAKEN WITH MEA IN ACCORDANCE WITH PARA 4 OF YOUR TUR.. MEA WILL CONSULT WITH MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR, WHO ARE CURRENTLY STUDYING THIS QUESTION, AND THEY WILL LET US KNOW THE OUTCOME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. IN THE MEANTIME THE ARGENTINE GOVERNMENT HAVE ALREADY DECLARED THEIR WILLINGNESS TO ACCEPT 108 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES (THEIR NOTE OF 13 DECEMBER TO THE HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUCEES IN GENEVA) .

2. THE LOCAL PRESS HERE IN PARTICULAR THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER THE BUENOS AIRES HERALD HAVE IN RECENT WEEKS BEEN CONDUCTING A CAMPAIGN URGING THE GOVERNMENT TO ALLOW IN QUOTE THOUSANDS UNQUOTE OF THESE REFUGEES. THE HERALD CARRIED A REPORT THAT THE COVERNMENT HAD AGREED TO ACCEPT 2,034 REFUGEES BUT THERE HAS BEEN NO OFFICIAL CONFIRMATION OF THIS FICURE AND IT SEEMS UNLIKELY THAT THEY WILL ACCEPT SUCH A LARGE NUMBER.

CARLESS

FILES

COPIES NO

UND

PS

HONG HONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE

IK & CD

SAMP

SEAD

IS/TORD CORONWY

ROBERTS

LONDON

KR BURLEIGH

FED

PS/MR LUARD

SAD

PS/FUS

SIR A DUFF

FID (E)

PUOD

OID

ירת

NEWS D NVD

SIR A. PARSONS MR LEAHY MR MURRAY

HOME OFFICE

QUEEN ANNE'S GATE

MR BIRT

KOME OFFICE

INBAR HOUSE.

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