TNAG-0883-FCO40-1093-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 122

CONFIDENTIAL

UNS 244/1

Reference

Mr Williamson

UK&GD

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REFUGEES IN HONG KONG: UK TOBBYING OF OTHER GOVERNEMMEL."! 1979

1.

31

FCO telno 36 to Canberra requested posts to take action witte-- governments with a view to persuading them to accept for permanent settlement some (or more) refugees from among those who have boun given temporary shelter in Hong Kong.

2. I attach a resumé of the responses we received: you will already have seen all the inward.telegrams on the subject. Most offers from governments (as indicated in the attached resumé) to take refugees from South East Asia were made before our own approaches to them. No new offers were made with the exception of the Italian land-owner's offer to take one family from Hong Kong. The results of our exercise are, therefore, rather disappointing though some governments are still considering our approaches to them. In these cases, 1 expect posta will take the opportunity to follow up, where appropriate, on their initial representations.

3. To some extent, we shall have to rely on the UNIICR to give due weight to Hong Kong's problem in any recommendation he may make to governments (which have offered resettlement places) with regard to which territories refugees are to be drawn from. UKMis Geneva remains in close contact with UNHCR on this and related matters.

P Morgan

UN Department

5 February, 1979

CC Chancery UKMis Geneva

Assistant Political Adviser, Hong Kong,

SEAD MVD

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