02 230
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 121030Z JUL 79
TO IMMEDIATE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
TELNO.985 OF 12 JULY,
INFO PRIORITY: UKMIS GENEVA,
1.
HKK 243
PA
ROUTINE : HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON.
M.1.P.T 1 DRAFT PASSAGE ON HONG KONG RESETTLEMENT PLEDGE.
pse (359)
1360
see (135)
THE UNHCR HAS SUGGESTED THAT HONG KONG SHOULD CONTRIBUTE TO HIS POLICY OF PARTIAL RESETTLEMENT WITHIN THE REGION BY ABSORBING 10,000 BOAT REFUGEES. THIS CAME AS A SURPRISE SINCE THE TERRITORY IS SO SMALL AND OVER-CROWDED, HAS ALREADY ACCEPTED SINCE 1975 14,000 PERSONS FROM INDO-CHINA WITH SOME HONG KONG CONNECTION, AND HAS NOW GIVEN TEMPORARY ASYLUM TO 65,000 BOAT REFUGEES. MOREOVER IN ADDITION TO THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEES HONG KONG HAS HAD AN INFLUX OF WELL OVER 200,000 PERSONS FROM CHINA IN THE LAST 18 MONTHS. THE LATTER FLOW HAS NOW HAPPILY BEEN SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCED, BUT THE PROBLEMS IT HAS CREATED REMAIN.
AN
2. HOWEVER THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT'S MAIN CONCERN IS THAT EFFECTIVE AND COMPLETE RESETTLEMENT PLAN FOR THE REGION SHOULD EMERGE FROM THIS CONFERENCE WHICH WILL LIFT FROM HONG KONG THE BURDEN OF THESE REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM WHO LACK AFFINITY OR CONNECTION WITH THE TERRITORY. THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT THEREFORE AGREES TO THE UNHCR'S SUGGESTION, AND WILL ACCEPT 10,000 OF THESE REFUGEES FOR PERMANENT RESIDENCE, ON THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE UNHCR WILL ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE MAINTENANCE AND RESETTLEMENT OF ALL OTHER INDO-CHINESE REFUGEES WHO COME TO, HONG KONG.
MACLEHOSE
WHO ARE IN, OR
PS
PS/LPS PS/MR HURD PS/ER BLAKER
FILES
NEWS D
SEAD
M & VD
HK & GD
UND
FED
EESD
NAM D
SAD
EID
PUSD
OID
IPD
PS/PUS
SIR A DUFF
SIR A PARSONS
MR CORTAZZI
MR MURRAY
MR STRATTON
LORD N.G. LENNOX
ADDITIONAL DISTN
BOAT PEOPLE
CONFIDENTIAL
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