HOEO 025/11
PP F C O
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RR HONGAID
GRS 220
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 110885Z JUL 79
TO PRIORITY F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 970 OF 11 JULY
INFO PRIORITY STOCKHOLM
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INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON,
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES: SWEDISH RESETTLEMENT PLACES.
1. THE SWEDISH CONSUL-GENERAL HERE SAYS THAT HE THINKS THAT 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 BOAT 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 BE PENALISED.
MACLEHOSE
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