TNAG-0886-FCO40-1096-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 162

'

(contd)

CONFIDENTIAL

4

9.

Of all the places his delegation had visited Hong Kong was the one which really offered asylum and reasonable conditions for refugees. He would do all he could to be helpful. HE said that when Anbassador Clark saw Hr Hartling on 24 May he hoped he would say that we did not have a high opinion of the efficiency of the UNHCR operations here. The staffing of the office was inadequate for the large numbers which required to be processed, He paid tribute to the generous way in which the US had responded to the refugee problem throughout the region and for the help which had been given to Hong Kong. More would be needed.

CC P S/G K

D of I

D3 (S )3D

PA

A PA

Security Branch

Government Secretariat

Hong Kong

27 April 1979

mej:

CONFIDENTIAL