TNAG-0972-FCO40-1191-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1980 — Page 145

GRS 540 CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG 090455Z FEB 80

PA.

IN PRIORITY WASHINGTON, UKMIS GENEVALOKMIS NEWYORK.

TO PRIORITY F C O

TELEGRAM NUMBER 225 OF 9 FEBRUARY

NKK 243/4

INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON.

INFO SAVING HANOI.

13 FEB 1980

DEA.

INDEX

RE RSTRY

Action Taken

AW 912

(C)

FOR CORTAZZI FROM POLITICAL ADVISER.

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.

1. PALMIERI, THE NEW US CO-ORDINATOR FOR REFUGEE AFFAIRS, IS IN HONG KONG BRIEFLY ON HIS WAY TO A HEADS OF MISSION CONFERENCE IN SINGAPORE. FOLLOWING THAT HE IS GOING ON TO LONDON. I GATHER

THAT HE WILL BE SEEING YOU ON 15 FEBRUARY.

2. PALMIERI CALLED ON THE GOVERNOR THIS MORNING. DURING THE CONVERSATION, HE SAID THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO YOU ABOUT THE FOLLOWING.

(1) WHETHER THE PLEDGING CONFERENCE FOR RELIEF WORK IN KAMPUCHEA,

SCHEDULED FOR MARCH, SHOULD BE BROADENED TO REFER TO THE BOAT

REFUGEE PROBLEM AND THUS ACT AS A MEANS OF KEEPING UP PRESSURE

ON VIETNAM:

11) HOW TO ENSURE THAT THE REFUGEE PROCESSING CENTRE IN THE PHILIPPINES IS DEVELOPED TO ITS PLANNED SIZE OF 50,000:

(111) WHAT SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT LONG TERM PLANS FOR RESETTLEMENT BY THIRD COUNTRIES IN VIEW OF THE FACT THAT THE OUTFLOW OF REFUGEES FROM INDO-CHINA COUNTRIES IS LIKELY TO BE A CONTINUING PROBLEM:

(IV) WHETHER SOVIET INVOLVEMENT IN VIETNAM INTRODUCES A 'WILD CARD' INTO THE GAME IN THE SENSE THAT A FURTHER EXODUS OF BOAT REFUGEES MIGHT BE USED AS A WEAPON BY EITHER THE RUSSIANS OR VIETNAMESE.

3. ON (1) THE GOVERNOR SAID WE WERE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE BACKGROUND OF THE KAMPUCHEA PLEDGING CONFERENCE. ANYTHING WHICH

CONFIDENTIAL

/COULD