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HKK 243/1
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DESK CFFICER INDEX
CONFIDENTIAL
FM CANBERRA 030620Z DEC 79
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 662 OF 3 DECEMBER
INFO PRIORITY GOVERNOR HONG KONG AND UKMIS GENEVA
INFO SAVING JAKARTA, SINGAPORE, MANILA, BANGKOK, HANOI AND UKMIS NEW YORK.
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YOUR TELEGRAM 588 : VIETNAMESE REFUGEES ON M. V. ENTALINA
1. YOUR PARAGRAPH 3. I HAVE OF COURSE CONSISTENTLY PRESSED THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT TO ACCEPT MORE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG AND AM MOST READY TO GO ON DOING SO. BUT I DO NOT THINK IT WOULD BE PROFITABLE TO MIX THIS ARGUMENT WITH THAT ABOUT GUARANTEES OF RESETTLEMENT FOR REFUGEES FROM THE M V ENTALINA WHICH SEEMS TO TURN ON A POINT OF PRINCIPLE.
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2. IF (YOUR PARAGRAPH 1) OUR STAND IS THAT GUARANTEES SHOULD NOT BE REQUIRED FOR REFUGEES PICKED UP AT SEA AND DISEMBARKED AT FIRST PORT OF CALL, IT WILL NOT BE SELF-EVIDENT TO THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT WHY THIS SHOULD APPLY TO THEM BUT NOT TO HONG KONG. HONG KONG IS UNDOUBTEDLY UNDER MORE PRESSURE THAN AUSTRALIA BUT AUSTRALIA ALSO HAS CONSTRICTIONS OF ACCOMMODATION AND FINANCE AS WELL AS POLITICAL PROBLEMS IN THIS AREA. SHE ALSO SEES HERSELF IN DANGER OF BECOMING A COUNTRY OF FIRST ASYLUM. HER WHOLE POLICY IS DIRECTED TO A CONSIDERABLE EXTENT TO PREVENTING THIS HAPPENING. I FEAR SHE MAY WELL SEE ANY ABANDONMENT BY HER OF THE GUARANTEE REQUIREMENT AS A WEAKENING OF THAT STAND.
3. YOU WILL NO DOUBT SEND FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS IN THE LIGHT OF MINISTERIAL DECISIONS: BUT IN SPEAKING WITH MR MACKELLAR OR HIS STAFF ARE THERE ANY ARGUMENTS WE CAN USE OTHER THAN THAT HONG KONG'S POSITION IS WORSE IN DEGREE THAN AUSTRALIA'S?
CONFIDENTIAL
/FCO PSE
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