TNAG-0886-FCO40-1096-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 120

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

GRS 250

CONFIDENTIAL

DESKBY 241130Z .

CONFIDENTIAL

731

HKK 2431

RECEIVES AN AROCURY ROL

M

DESK OTAx

RIDEX

21

FM HONG KONG 241245Z MAY 79

TO IMMEDIATE F C O

TELEGRAM NUMBER 635 OF 24 MAY

INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA

INFO PRIORITY WASHINGTON

по

J31.5

INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES: US RESETTLEMENT PROGRAMME FROM HONG KONG.

1. WE HAVE JUST LEARNT FROM THE US CONSULATE-GENERAL THAT RESETTLEMENT NUMBERS FOR HONG KONG HAVE NOW BEEN ALLOCATED UP TO THE END OF SEPTEMBER AND THAT THE PROJECTED MOVEMENT IS 400 IN MAY AND ONLY 2,000 IN TOTAL OVER THE NEXT 4 MONTHS.

2. WE FIND THESE FIGURES INCOMPREHENSIBLE IN THE LIGHT OF AMBASSADOR CLARK'S ASSURANCES ABOUT FLEXIBILITY IN THE US PROGRAMME. FOR TACTICAL REASONS WE WOULD NOT WISH UKMIS GENEVA TO RAISE THIS WITH CLARK TOMORROW (UKMIS GENEVA TELNO 158 TO FCO) SINCE OUR MOST IMMEDIATE NEED IS TO ENLIST CLARK'S ASSISTANCE

IN RESOLVING OUR PROBLEMS WITH UNHCR.

3. UNLESS YOU SEE OBJECTION, WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD ASK WASHINGTON TO RAISE THIS EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH CLARK AND ALSO WITH OAKLEY (STATE DEPARTMENT): WE SUSPECT THAT THE FINAL SAY IN ALLOCATING NUMBERS LIES WITH THE STATE DEPARTMENT. WE DO NOT KNOW HOW NUMBERS HAVE BEEN ALLOCATED ELSEWHERE BUT WE SUSPECT THAT

PROPORTIONATELY FAR HIGHER NUMBERS HAVE BEEN ALLOCATED TO BOAT CASES IN MALAYSIA THAN COULD BE JUSTIFIED IN TERMS EITHER OF NUMBERS AWAITING RESETTLEMENT OR OF THE CURRENT RATE OF ARRIVALS.

/UNLESS

CONFIDENTIAL

Page 120Page 121

Comments

Approved members can add comments, bookmarks, and private notes.

No comments yet.

Private Research Note

Private notes are available after approval.