TNAG-0896-FCO40-1106-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 279

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

CRS 197

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

FM WELLINGTON 3821237 AUG 79

T PRIORITY HONG KONG

TELEGRAM NUBER 4 OF ? AUGUST

INFO FCO (PSE PASS HONG AID)

FOR GOVERNOR FROM CATER.

**2431,

HK

IN

DESK

No proje

PA

1538

1. YESTERDAY I HAD SEPARATE MEETINGS WITH THE ACTING PRIME MINISTER (TALBOYS) AND WITH THE MINISTER OF IMMIGRATION (BOLGER). THE MEETINGS WERE CORDIAL AND HELPFUL. I EXPLAINED OUR PROBLEMS AND VIEWS IN DETAIL AND AT SOME LENGTH: CONSIDERABLE SYMPATHY WAS EXPRESSED. BOTH STATED THAT NEW ZEALAND HAD YET TO MAKE DEFINITE DECISIONS AS TO FUTURE ALLOCATION OF ''REFUGEES QUOTAS'': THAT, ALTHOUGH THEY WOULD HAVE TO ALLOCATE SOME QUOTA FOR LAND REFUGEES IN THAILAND, NEVERTHELESS THEY WERE VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE LOGIC OF OUR ARGUMENT THAT, IN ALLOCATING PLACES FOR BOAT REFUGEES, AT LEAST ONE THIRD SHOULD COME FROM HONG KONG. BOTH PROMISED THAT OUR VIEWS WOULD BE BORNE FIRMLY IN MIND WHEN THIS MATTER COMES UP FOR CONSIDERATION LATER. THEY SOUNDED GENUINE.

2. EARLIER YESTERDAY I ATTENDED A MEETING, CHAIRED BY HARLAND.

(ASSISTANT SECRETARY MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS), AT WHICH THERE WAS

A GENERAL EXCHANGE OF VIEWS MAINLY TO DO WITH BOAT REFUGEES. IT

WAS A USEFUL PRELIMINARY TO THE MEETING WITH TALBOYS.

3. I AM RETURNING TO HONG KONG TOMORROW (FRIDAY 10TH AUGUST) VIA

SYDNEY ON QF 27.

SMEDLEY

FILES

SEAD

EK & GD

PS

UND

PED

EESD

NAM D

SAD

MAED

EID

FUSD

OID

IPD

NEWS D MVD

PS/LPS PS/MR HURD PS/MR BLAKER

PS/PUS

SIR A DUFF

SIR A PARSONS

MR CORTAZZI

MR MURRAY

MR STRATTON

LORD NG LENNOX

M2 BULLARD

MR FERGUSSON

MR FRETWELL

ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION BOAT PEOPLE

CONFIDENTIAL

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