18ET
bRS580
COFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 161120Z NOV
CONFIDENTIAL 3+3
TO PRIORITY FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1620 OF 16 NOVEMBER, 1979
P:A
M
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, WASHINGTON, UKMIS GENEVA, BANGKOK, SINGAPORE, JAKARTA, UKMIS NEW YORK, MANILA AND KUALA LUMPUR.
U.S. REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT PROGRAMME.
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see (1861)
1. U.S. CONSUL-GENERAL CALLED THIS EVENING ON THE POLITICAL
ADVISER TO EXPLAIN THE CONSEQUENCES FOR THE U.S. RESETTLEMENT
PROGRAMME OF MRS CARTER'S COMMITMENT TO ACHIEVE A GREATER OFF-
TAKE OF REFUGEES FROM THAILAND.
2. HE SAID THAT THERE WOULD BE A SIGNIFICANT EFFECT IN TERMS OF
DIRECT MOVEMENT FROM HONG KONG TO THE UNITED STATES IN DECEMBER
AND JANUARY. THE CONSULATE-GENERAL HAD BEEN TOLD THAT THE QUOTA FOR THESE TWO MONTHS (PREVIOUSLY SET AT 2,000 PER MONTH) WOULD NOW BE 1,250 FOR DECEMBER AND 1,000 FOR JANUARY. THEY WOULD HOWEVER TRY TO TAKE UP THE ORIGINAL TOTAL OF 4,000 FOR THE TWO MONTHS BY SENDING IN JANUARY 1,750 LOW CATEGORY REFUGEES'' TO
THE REFUGEE PROCESSING CENTRE IN THE PHILIPPINES. THIS WOULD OF COURSE DEPEND ON THERE BEING NO HITCH IN EITHER THE PREPARING OF THE CENTRE OR THE PHILIPPINES GOVERNMENT BEING PREPARED TO
ACCEPT THOSE WHOM THE U.S. WISHED TO SEND.
3. THE CONSUL-GENERAL SAID THAT, AS A RESULT OF READJUSTMENTS IN THE OVERALL PROGRAMME, RESETTLEMENT FROM THAILAND WOULD BE INCREASED TO 10,000 PER MONTH FOR DECEMBER AND JANUARY. ABOUT 14,000 OF THESE WOULD GO DIRECT TO THE UNITED STATES: THE OTHERS
WOULD GO TO THE PROCESSING CENTRE IN THE PHILIPPINES. FOR INDONESIA THERE WOULD BE NO DECREASE IN THE PREVIOUSLY
DETERMINED QUOTA FOR DECEMBER: THERE WOULD BE A SLIGHT DECREASE
IN JANUARY. THE MALAYSIAN QUOTA WOULD BE INCREASED FROM THE FIGURE OF 2,000 FOR NOVEMBER TO 2,250 IN DECEMBER. NO DECISION
HAD BEEN MADE ABOUT JANUARY. THE CONSUL-GENERAL THOUGHT THAT
THE SLIGHT INCREASE FOR DECEMBER WAS TO ENCOURAGE THE MALAYSIANS
TO ADOPT A MORE HUMANE POLICY TOWARDS BOAT ARRIVALS.
CONFIDENTIAL
14
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