GR 250 CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
6 WASHINGTON 071335Z MAY 79
PRIORITY GOVERNOR HONG KONG
TELEGRAM NUMBER 10 OF 7 MAY
INFO PRIORITY F.C.O. UKMIS GENEVA
HACK 843/1.
INDEX
No
-9 MAY 1979
J9.5 He's
YOUR TELNO 14: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES NOT YET ACCEPTED BY UNTER
1.
WE HAVE SPOKEN AS REQUESTED TO CUSHING, (DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR REFUGEES, STATE DEPARTMENT) WHO CONFIRMED THAT THE US WOULD HAVE NO DIFFICULTY IN ACCEPTING BOAT REFUGEES WHO HAD
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SPENT SOME TIME IN CHINA AND WHO EVENTUALLY MADE FOR HONG KONG (Good
*
BUT HE INSISTED THAT THE US COULD NOT ACCEPT ANY REFUGEES WHO
HAD CROSSED INTO CHINA BY LAND. HE SAID THAT EVEN IF THE US
WERE TO MAKE SUCH REFUGEES ELIGIBLE UNDER THEIR PROGRAMME FOR
BOAT PEOPLE, THEY ALREADY HAD MORE THAN ENOUGH CANDIDATES TO FILL THE AVAILABLE SPACES UNDER THE PRESENT PROGRAMME. HE ADDED, THAT IT WAS SURELY IN HONG KONG'S INTERESTS FOR IT TO BE KNOWN
THAT VIETNAMESE WHO ENTERED CHINA BY LAND WOULD NOT BE ELIGIBLE
FOR EVENTUAL ADMISSION TO THE US, AS THIS KNOWLEDGE WOULD DISCOURAGE INHABITANTS OF THE NORTHERN PART OF VIETNAM FROM
MOVING TO CHINA. HE ALSO REMINDED US THAT THE CRITERIA FOR
ADMISSION TO THE US WERE THAT A REFUGEE SHOULD BE RELATED BY
BLOOD TO SOMEONE ALREADY IN THE US OR HAVE BEEN CLOSELY
ASSOCIATED WITH THE US PRIOR TO THE FALL OF SOUTH VIETNAM:
IT WAS UNLIKELY THAT MANY PEOPLE FROM THE NORTHERN PART OF
VIETNAM WOULD MEET THESE CRITERIA.
12. CUSHING UNDERTOOK TO ENSURE THAT US POLICY REGARDING BOAT
REFUGEES WHO HAD SPENT TIME IN CHINA WOULD BE MADE CLEAR TO THE UNHCR STAFF, BOTH IN GENEVA AND HONG KONG.
JAY
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HK & GD
UND
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