GPS 235
RESTRICTED
See
1549
RESTRICTED
LT HONG KONG 0310152 AUG 79
TO ROUTINE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
TELNO.1108 OF 3 AUGUST,
HKK 243/!
"PA"
INFO BUENOS AIRES, UKMIS GENEVA, H.K. GOVT OFFICE. LONDON.
BUENOS AIRES TELNO 201 TO YOU: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
ISIS
1. WE TOOK ACTION ON 1 AUGUST WITH THE ARGENTINE CONSUL-SALAL. FERRARI TOLD US THAT IT NOW LOOKED AS THOUGH ARGENNTINA WOULD BE ABLE TO ACCEPT SOME REFUGEES IN INDUSTRIAL WORK, RATHER THAN EXCLUSIVELY FOR AGRICULTURAL SETTLEMENT AS EARLIER ENVISAGED. HIS GOVERNMENT HAD TRAWLED INDUSTRIALISTS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY,
AND THERE HAD BEEN AN ENCOURAGING RESPONSE FROM E.G SAN JUAN
PROVINCE.
2. WE ASKED WHETHER ANY ALLOCATION OF THE 1,000 FAMILIES QUOTED HAD BEEN DECIDED, AND PROPOSED THAT, IF NOT, HONG KONG COULD PROVIDE, SAY, 100 FAMILIES. FERRARI THOUGHT THIS REASONABLE AND SAID HE WOULD BE HAPPY TO SEE A LARGE PROPORTION COME FROM HONG
KONG. HE SAID THAT MEDIA COVERAGE IN ARGENTINA WAS SUCH THAT
HONG KONG'S POSITION AS A PLACE OF FIRST ASYLUM WAS WELL APPRECIATED
3. AS' REGARDS VETTING (PARA.3 OF TUR), FERRARI SAID UNPROMPTED THAT HE DID NOT THINK ARGENTINE CRITERIA WOULD BE VERY SPECIFIC:
HE SAW THE DIFFICULTIES OF CHECKING THOROUGHLY PEOPLE ARRIVING
WITH SCANT DOCUMENTATION. HE REFERRED TO A PROBABLE VISIT BY AN ARGENTINE SELECTION TEAM, BUT HAS NO DATES YET.
4. GRATEFUL IF BUENOS AIRES WOULD URGE AN EARLY DATE FOR THE
TEAM'S VISIT. WE WILL DO ALL WE CAN TO HELP THEM,
MACLEHOSE
FILES
SEAD
PS
HK & GD
UND
FED
EESD
N AM D
SAD
MAED
EID
FUSD
PS/LPS
FS/MR HURJ) PS/MR BLAKER PS/PUS
SIR A DUFF
SIR A PARSONS
MR CORTAZZI
MR STRATTON
OID
IPD
MR BULLARD
NEWS D
MVD
SAM D
MR FRETWELL
RESTRICTED
ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION BOAT PEOPLE
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