TNAG-0881-FCO40-1091-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 29

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TO PRIORITY PERSONAL GOVERNOR HONG KONG

TELEGRAM NUMBER 170 OF 20 FEBRUARY

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PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM CORTAZZI VIETNAMESE REFUGEES

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1. I HAVE BEEN PRESSING HARD FOR A MORE SYMPATHETIC ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE PROCESSING CENTRE IDEA. WE FULLY TAKE THE POINTS IN YOUR TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE AND WILL NOT ALLOW THE HONG KONG ANGLE TO BE FORGOTTEN, ALTHOUGH WE MUST ALSO TAKE ACCOUNT OF ASEAN INTERESTS.

2. I HAVE ARGUED THAT THE EXISTENCE OF A PROCESSING CENTRE AND THE LIKELIHOOD THAT REFUGEES WOULD HAVE TO STAY THERE FOR MONTHS IF NOT YEARS WILL BE A DETERRENT TO ALL EXCEPT THOSE WHO ARE BEING GENUINELY PERSECUTED BY THE INHUMAN VIETNAMESE REGIME. BUT OTHERS HERE BELIEVE THAT THE EXISTENCE OF A PROCESSING CENTRE WOULD ACT AS AN INCENTIVE TO FURTHER DEPARTURES (MR LUARD HAS SPOKEN PUBLICLY OF VERY LARGE NUMBERS OF POTENTIAL REFUGEES) AND AS A DISINCENTIVE TO CONTINUE TO ACCEPT REFUGEES COPIOUSLY OR QUICKLY FOR PERMANENT RESETTLEMENT.

3. IN THE MEANTIME WE ARE CONTINUING TO PRESS THE VIETNAMESE HARD. YOU WILL HAVE SEEN THE ACCOUNTS OF MY MEETING WITH THE VIETNAMESE AMBASSADOR ON 13 FEBRUARY AND LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS MEETING ON 19 FEBRUARY. THERE WOULD BE NO HARM IN LETTING UMELCO MEMBERS KNOW OF THE LINE WE HAVE TAKEN. IN THIS CONTEXT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF YOU COULD LET US HAVE A MEMORANDUM WHICH WE COULD GIVE TO THE VIETNAMESE SUMMARISING THE EVIDENCE OF VIETNAMESE OFFICIAL CONNIVANCE IN THE HUEY FONG AND SKYLUCK CASES.

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