TNAG-0895-FCO40-1105-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 49

GRS 170

CONFIDENTIAL

FM OTTAWA 312110Z JUL 79

CONFIDENTIAL

HKK 243]

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 339 OF 31 JULY

AND TO HONG KONG

1459

PA

A

8

1493

HONG KONG TELNO 1057 AND FCO TELNO 355 TO CANBERRA.

1469

1. IN THE ABSENCE OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR EXTERNAL AFFAIRS AT THE COMMONWEALTH HEADS OF GOVERNMENT MEETING, THE DEPUTY HIGH COMMISSIONER HAS WRITTEN TO THE MINISTER OF IMMIGRATION EXPRESSING OUR CONCERN THAT HONG KONG SHOULD RECEIVE A FAIR SHARE OF RESETTLEMENT PLACES.

2.

WE HAVE HANDED A COPY OF THE LETTER TO THE APPROPRIATE DIVISION AT THE DEPARTMENT OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS. THE DEA'S INITIAL RESPONSE WAS THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF THE SITUATION IN HONG KONG AND RECOGNISE HONG KONG'S HUMANITARIAN ACTION IN TAKING SO MANY REFUGEES. THE CANADIANS ARE CONCERNED, TOO, THAT

THERE SHOULD BE A FAIR ALLOCATION OF RESETTLEMENT PLACES, BUT BELIEVE PLANS SHOULD INCLUDE OVERLAND REFUGEES, AS WELL AS THE BOAT CASES. THEY ALSO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A STRONG CASE

FOR OFFERING MORE RESETTLEMENT PLACES TO REFUGEES WHO WOULD

CTHERWISE BE TOWED OUT TO SEA.

3. THE DEA WILL BE DISCUSSING THE MATTER FURTHER WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF IMMIGRATION.

FORD

i

FILES

SEAD

HK & GD

UND

FED

EESD

N AM D

SAD

MAED

EID

FUSD

OID

IPD

NEWS D MVD

FS

FS/LPS

PS/MR HURD PS/MR BLAKER

PS/PUS

SIA A DUIZ

SIR A PARSONS MR CORTAZZI MR MURRAY

MR STRATTON

MR BULLARD

MR FERGUSSON .MR FRETWELL

ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION BOAT PEOPLE

CONFIDENTIAL