TNAG-0890-FCO40-1100-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 174

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overwhelming majority have been ethnic Chinese. Hong Kong is desperately short of space and conditions for the refugees on board their small vessels in Hong Kong harbour are inevitably bad. Although we have been pressing hard for other countries to take more refugees from Hong Kong we have not yet had much success. Hong Kong takes a rather low priority if only because their attitude has been more humane than that of some other countries, eg Malaysia.

POLICY ISSUES

6.

a.

If a conference is held, as we have urged, we shall be under increasing pressure to take more refugees. Indeed the UNHCR wants to know in advance of a conference what our response is likely to be. Our negative attitude has been criticised in Malaysia and elsewhere.

Our primary responsibilities are to:

i. Hong Kong, which is a British colony;

ii. British shipping whose dilemma is becoming

increasingly intolerable.

RECOMMENDATIONS

J f Stuv

7. My view remains that if our position internationally,m. nationally and morally is to be maintained we must

a.

reaffirm the pledge to take refugees picked up by British ships;

14.7 Moc cons.de unis

b.

ne

establish a small regular quota for refugees from Hong Kong.ht

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12 June 1979

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