TNAG-0897-FCO40-1107-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 205

-3

RESTRICTED

SG Eldon Esq

BONN

Dear Eldon,

1653A

BRITISH MILITARY GOVERNMENT BERLIN

BRITISH FORCES POST OFFICE 45

Ref: 243/2

4 September 1979

K 2443/i

KK

Encouraging

4

:

2.PA.

Jwikiamm 10.9.

RESETTLEMENT OF REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG

1.

In accordance with the instructions in John Whitehead's letter of 16 August to Brash we have taken up the question of the resettlement of refugees from Hong Kong with the Senat and the "Berliner Morgenpost", which has been running a campaign to raise money for the refugees. Results are as

follows.

Senat

2. Barbara Deavin called on Herr Schulze, the acting head of the Senat Chancellery, on 24 August. She left with him a piece of paper based on the background material enclosed with Whitehead's letter, as well as that contained in Hong Kong telegram no. 5 to you. She mentioned the outcome of discussions reported in your telegram no. 6 of 17 August to Hong Kong.

3. Schulze gave the overall picture as follows. Berlin had informed the Federal authorities of its readiness to accept 760 refugees. The number was relatively small because the city already had problems in absorbing and finding accommodation for refugees and resettlers from the sub-continent, the Middle East

Schulze said that and Eastern Europe, including the GDR. policy over the details of the allocation of Vietnamese refugees in the Federal Republic and Berlin was coordinated in Bonn.

4.

Schulze nevertheless expressed sympathy about the special case of Hong Kong refugees. The Berlin authorities could not however act independently of Bonn. He undertook nevertheless to bring the problem to the attention of the Senator for Labour and Social Affairs and indicated that the Senat would thereafter inform the Federal authorities in Bonn of the British demarche and of the Senat's support for it.

Morgenpost

5. On 28 August Mike Hardie, our information officer, called on the Morgenpost. A Morgenpost appeal for private subscriptions had so far realised DM 700,000 to help the refugees.

The

/deputy