GRS 220
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 1108052 JUL 79
PRIORITY F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 970 OF 11 JULY
INFO PRIORITY STOCKHOLM
HKK 24
INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON:
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES: SWEDISH RESETTLEMENT PLACES.
14
1340
No 29.2
2
1. THE SWEDISH CONSUL-GENERAL HERE SAYS THAT HE THINKS TA VIRTUALLY NONE OF THE NEW SWEDISH OFFER OF 1,250 RESETTLEMENT PLACES
WILL BE DEVOTED TO HONG KONG. POLITICAL ADVISER HAS ARGUED STRONGLY THAT HONG KONG SHOULD BE GIVEN A FAIR SHARE AND ASKED
THE CONSUL-GENERAL TO REPORT THIS TO STOCKHOLM. HE HAS UNDERTAKEN
TO DO SO BUT IS NOT HOPEFUL OF THE RESULT,
2. THE CONSUL-GENERAL HAS SAID THAT HE THINKS A KEY MAN WHOM THE
EMBASSY SHOULD TACKLE AND TRY TO PERSUADE IS OBERG, THE HEAD OF
THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT WHOM HE CATEGORISES AS AN IDEALIST
WILLING TO DO MORE ABOUT THE REFUGEE PROBLEM.
3. UNLESS YOU SEE OBJECTION, GRATEFUL IF STOCKHOLM WOULD REINFORCE OUR REPRESENTATIONS ABOUT A FAIR ALLOCATION OF RESETTLEMENT PLACES GOING TO HONG KONG AND, IF THEY SEE ADVANTAGE,
SPEAK TO OBERG. THE MAIN ARGUMENTS TO DEPLOY IN FAVOUR OF HONG.
KONG ARE THAT THIS YEAR WE HAVE RECEIVED SOME 34 PERCENT OF
THE DO AT REFUGEE INTAKE AND ONLY BENEFITTED FROM 12 PERCENT OF THE OFFTAKE. FURTHERMORE, HONG KONG ALONE IN THE REGION HAS FOLLOWED THE SORT OF HUMANITARIAN LINE WHICH SWEDEN, AMONGST OTHER COUNTRIES, PRESUMABLY APPROVES. HUMANITARIANISM MUST NOT BE SEEN
TO DE PENALISED.
MACLE HOSA
FILES
SEAD
NEWS D M & VD
HK & GD
UND
FED
RESD
NAM D SAD
WAD Aus OID IPD
PS PS/LPS
PS/MR HURD PS/ER BLAKER.
PS/PUS
SIR A DUFF
SIR A PARSONS
MR CORTAZZI MR MURRAY
MR STRATTON
ADDITIONAL DISTN
BOAT PEOPLE
CONFIDENTAL
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