TNAG-0894-FCO40-1104-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 175

ADVANCES:

BOAT PEOPLE

PS

PS/IPS

PS/MR HURD

PS/HR BLAKER

PS/TUS

SIR A DUFF

SIR A PARSONS

MR CORTAZZI

MR MURRAY

BY ANDON

HD/UND

HD/HK & GD

HD/MVD

HD/NEWS D

HD/SEAD

HD/N AM D

IMMEDIATE

PS/NO 10 DOWNING STREET

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HD/EESD

HD/OID

RESIDENT CLERK

GRS 450

CONFIDENTIAL

DESKBY 140958Z F C O

FM HONG KONG 140755Z JUL 79,

TO IMMEDIATE F C O

TELEGRAM NUMBER 999 OF 14 JULY

INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON.

Kel

GENEVA CONFERENCE ON INDO-CHINESE REFUGEES: U K PLEDGE.

PERSONAL FROM GOVERNOR.

1. A REUTERS LONDON STORY REPORTS A DECISION THAT THE UK PLEDGE

WILL BE 10,000 SPREAD OVER 3 YEARS, AND NOT, AS I HAD SUPPOSED, MERELY SUBJECT TO SOME PHASING. IF TRUE, AND COUPLED WITH DEDUCTIONS FOR SEA RESCUE, IT COULD NOT BE CLAIMED TO APPROXIMATE TO THE UNHCR'S SUGGESTION OF 12,000 IN A YEAR, BUT WOULD AMOUNT TO LESS THAN 3,330 A YEAR.

2. MEMBERS OF EXECUTIVE COUNCIL AND MORE OMINOUSLY THE

US CONSUL-GENERAL HAVE SAID THEY HOPE THE REPORT UNFOUNDED.

3. IF IT CAN BE DENIED, THE SOONER IT IS THE BETTER, AND PLEASE DISREGARD THE REST OF THIS TELEGRAM.

4. IF THIS WERE HMG'S DECISION IT COULD NOT BE CONCEALED FOR LONG BY VAGUE WORDING IN THE ANNOUNCEMENT, PARTICULARLY SINCE THE ·