TNAG-0890-FCO40-1100-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 74

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REGIVER

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DESKSY 190830 Z

FM WASHINGTON 182222Z JUNE 79

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1566 OF 18 JUNE

INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA, HONG KONG, UKMIS NEW YORK,

PRIORITY OTTAWA

INFO SAVING HANOI,

MY TELNO 1483 (TO FCO ONLY): VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.

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1. THE STATE DEPARTMENT ARRANGED A MEETING THIS MORNING FOR THE COVERNOR OF HONG KONG WITH CHRISTOPHER, HOLBROOKE AND CLARK. WHAT WAS TO HAVE BEEN A SERIES OF INDIVIDUAL MEETINGS WAS AMALG-

AMATED SINCE THOSE CONCERNED HAD A MEETING ON REFUGEES WITH THE

VICE-PRESIDENT LATER IN THE MORNING. THE AMERICANS SAID THAT THE

GOVERNOR'S VISIT CAME AT AN OPPORTUNE MOMENT TO EMPHASISE THE URGENCY OF THE REFUGEE PROBLEM. THEY PRAISED HONG KONG FOR THE WAY

IN WHICH REFUGEES HAD BEEN HANDLED THERE. THEY ALSO WELCOMED THE

PRIME MINISTER'S CALL FOR A CONFERENCE AND HOPED THAT ADVANTAGE

COULD BE TAKEN OF WALDHEIM'S NEW SIGNS OF DYNAMISM. THE GOVERNOR COMMENTED THAT UNDER THE DOUBLE BURDEN OF INFLUXES FROM CHINA AND VIETNAM THE HONG KONG PUBLIC'S TOLERANCE OF THE LATTER COULD SNAP. THIS WAS PARTICULARLY SO IF THEY SAW THAT LESS HUMANE TREATMENT BY OTHER COUNTRIES WAS REWARDED BUT ALSO IF, IN RECESSION, THEY HAD TO COMPETE FOR SCARCE JOBS. THE FORMER WAS OF MORE IMMEDIATE IMPORTANCE. 2. FOLLOWING ARE THE MAIN POINTS TO EMERGE FROM THE MEETING:

A. CHRISTOPHER SAID THAT, ALTHOUGH AMERICAN POLICY TOWARDS A CON- FERENCE WAS STILL BEING FORMULATED, IT WAS TENDING TOWARDS DE-LINKING THE TWO ASPECTS OF FINDING MORE RESETTLEMENT PLACES AND DIRECT CRITIC

-ISM OF VIETNAM AND EVEN DE-EMPHASISING THE LATTER, WHILE CONTINUING TO CONDEMN VIETNAM AS OCCASSION OFFERED. HE THOUGH PRIORITY SHOULD BE

CONFIDENTIAL

GIVEN