TNAG-0886-FCO40-1096-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 46

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* OUR REF.: CR 2/4821/75

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CONFIDENTIAL

MK O Simpson-Orlebar Esq

United Nations Department FCO

770

GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT

LOWER ALBERT ROAD

LONG ENG

24 May, 1979

H.KK 243/1

RECEIVED M

དུམ་ཚན་ང་

DESK OF R

INDEX

10.51

Y

PA

мо

J41.5

VIETNAM REFUGEES

When I last wrote to you on 8 May about refugees from Vietnam I said that I would write separately about what the UK might do, in terms of further offers of places in order to put pressure on the Americans to take more people from Hong Kong. Since then we have had the Jakarta conference and the House of Commons adjournment debate. I thought I would wait until both were over before fulfilling my commitment to write.

2.

You are all too familiar with the basic facts. They were put very clearly, and helpfully, by the Minister in the adjournment debate. To summarise: at the end of 1978 we had about 5,400 refugees from Vietnam in Hong Kong awaiting resettlement. We now have nearly 31,000 (not counting the "Sibonga"). Since 1 January some 3,300 refugees have been resettled. In the same period over 28,000 have arrived (again not counting the "Sibonga").

3.

The situation is alarming and shows every prospect of getting worse. As you will have seen from Hong Kong telegram No 601 of 18 May (from the Governor to the PUS we have clear indications that the US programme is going to be much lower than anticipated for several months to come. We have heard from the Americans that the Secretary of State did indeed speak to Mr Vance on the lines we had suggested. Let us hope that achieves something. We must, however, face the unpleasant fact that even a reversion to the original American plan of 750 refugees a month will only have a minor effect on our growing problem. I need hardly add that the logistic problems of finding space for refugees are acute and that public opinion is becoming increasingly frustrated and hostile.

4.

We must somehow get more resettlement places. The key is the US. We need more places there in absolute terms. We also need to ensure that Hong Kong is treated proportionately at least as well as the countries of South-East Asia. This is not the case at present.

CONFIDENTIAL ontd..........