TNAG-0899-FCO40-1109-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 76

GRS235

CONF INTIAL

FN FCO 16183OZ NOV 79

TO PRIORITY HONG KONG

CONFIDENTIAL

43/1

HKK 24.3

RELLIVE

1862

TELEGRAM NUMBER 956 OF 15 NOVEMBER

BESK USHT

INFO WASHINGTON, UKMIS GENEVA, BANGKOK, SINGAPOREXJAKARTA, UKMIS NEW YORK, MANILA, KUALA LUMPUR

YOUR TELEGRAM NUMBER 1620: US REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT PROGRAMME.

FED

1. HOLBROOKE, US ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR EAST ASIA, EXPLAINED THE POSITION ON THIS TO MR BLAKER AND CORTAZZI TODAY ON THE LINES USED

BY THE US CONSUL GENERAL. THE US GOVERNMENT AND HOLBROOKE IN

PARTICULAR ARE CLEARLY DEEPLY WORRIED ABOUT THE SITUATION ON THE

CAMBODIAN/THAI BORDER. THEY THINK THAT THERE COULD SE A NEW MAJOR

INFLUX OF REFUGEES INTO THAILAND IN THE NEAR FUTURE AND THAT IN ORDER

TO DEMONSTRATE TO THE THAIS THEIR SUPPORT FOR KRIANGSAK'S POLICY OF

NON-REFOULEMENT THEY MUST GIVE TOP PRIORITY TO THAILAND, ALTHOUGH THEY REALISE THAT THE BULK OF THE REFUGEES ENTERING

THAILAND AT PRESENT ARE IN A

DIFFERENT CATEGORY FROM THE REFUGEES

FROM VIETNAM AND COULD RETURN TO CAMBODIA IF SATISFACTORY CONDITIONS

COULD BE ESTABLISHED THERE.

2. WE EXPRESSED 'OUR DISAPPOINTMENT ABOUT THE OFF-TAKE FROM HONG KONG

WHILE UNDERSTANDING US MOTIVES. WE STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF GETTING THE PROCESSING CENTRE IN THE PHILIPPINES GOING EFFECTIVELY. IF

THE OFF-TAKE FROM HONG KONG FELL DRAMATICALLY AND THERE VERE.

ANOTHER FLOOD OF REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WOULD BE UNDER GREAT PRESSURE FROM LOCAL OPINION NOT TO ACCEPT MORE REFUGEE

IT WOULD BE VITAL THAT ANY SUCH REFUGEES COULD BE SENT STRAIGHT TO TE

PROCESSING CENTRE. HOLBROOKE ASSURED US THAT THE UNITED STATES

AMBASSADOR IN MANILA PAD CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS TO SUPPORT HONG KONG

OVER PARTICIPATION IN THE CENTRE. HE HIMSELF HAD MADE THE POINT

DIRECT TO PRESIDENT MARCOS:

;

CAPRINGTON

FILES

SEAD

HK & GD

FED

UND

PS/MR BLAKER PS/PUS

MR CORTAZZI

MR MURRAY

CONFIDENTIAL