151H
24+3/1
RESTRICTED
HKK 243
RECEIVES
GRS 320
RESTRICTED
FM CANBERRA 630248Z AUG 79
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 443 OF 23 AUGUST 1979
INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG AND UKMIS GENEVA
Des
Mo
see (153
YOUR TELNO 355: RE-SETTLEMENT OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG
(1469
1. AS SIR JACK CATER HAS BEEN HERE THIS WEEK, WE HAVE NOT TAKEN SEPARATE ACTION TO SPEAK TO THE AUSTRALIANS AS REQUESTED BUT I HAVE SUPPORTED HIS REPRESENTATIONS TO AUSTRALIAN MINISTERS AND OFFICIALS.
•
2. CATER HAS HAD A GOOD AND WELL PUBLICISED RECEPTION IN AUSTRALIA AND HAS DONE MARVELS IN CREATING SYMPATHY FOR HONG KONG. HE WAS VERY WELL RECEIVED BY OFFICIALS AT THE DFA AND DEPARTMENT OF IMMIGRATION AND ALSO RECEIVED MOST SYMPATHETIC HEARINGS WHEN HE AND I CALLED ON THE ACTING PRIME MINISTER, MR ANTHONY, AND THE MINISTER FOR HOME
AFFAIRS, MR ELLICOTT, YESTERDAY.
3. THE AUSTRALIANS HAVE NOT YET GIVEN A COMMITMENT TO INCREASE THEIR. QUOTA OF REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG BUT THERE SEEMED TO BE ACCEPTANCE OF
CUR BLUNT CLAIM THAT WHAT THEY HAD DONE FOR HONG KONG SO FAR HAD BEEN
DERISORY AND THAT NOT ONLY HONG KONG'S NEED AND EXEMPLARY HUMANIT~ ARIAN CONDUCT BUT AUSTRALIA'S WIDER RELATIONS WITH HER REQUIRED AN IMPROVEMENT. I HAVE CONSIDERABLE HOPE THAT A BETTER OFFER TO HONG · KONG WILL. EMERGE IN RESPONSE TO CATER'S ARGUMENT THAT HONG KONG'S SHARE OF THE VIETNAMESE INTAKE HAD BEEN ABOUT 35 PER CENT AND THAT IT THEREFORE WOULD BE REASONABLE FOR AUSTRALIA TO ALLOCATE TO HONG KONG CNE THIRD OF THEIR TOTAL ACCEPTANCE QUOTA OF BOAT REFUGEES FROM VIET- NAM. AUSTRALIA IS UNLIKELY TO MOVE THAT FAR BECAUSE THEIR OWN ANXIETIES CENTRE SO MUCH ON THE REFUGEES IN MALAYSIA AND INDONESIA WHO MAY COME ON TO AUSTRALIA. BUT I THINK WE HAVE CONVINCED THEM THAT THE DEGREE OF THEIR DISCRIMINATION AGAINST HONG KONG IS UNREASONABLE.
RESTRICTED
/4, CATER
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