TNAG-0974-FCO40-1193-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-in-other--1980 — Page 104

HKCS

SHLET NO.

2

C

b)

c)

Reverend Thompson, Director

Mrs. Bodil Soelling, Associate General Secretary

Reverend Ballin, Caritas

Mr. C.J. Rawlinson, British Embassy.

•

This organization is not directly involved in the selection and

integration of refugees. The main reason is that these issues are

dealt with by Government in cooperation with the Danish Refugee

Council. Danish Interchurch Aid, however, is funding the work of

international agencies working for réfugees outside of Denmark.

Several allocations have been made to Hong Kong Christian Service.

A ten minutes interview at Radio Denmark with Mr. Jorgen E. Petersen,

Foreign Editor of Radio Denmark. This interview gave the opportunity

to clarify and to dispell some erroneous beliefs among the Danish

population as to the background, origin and nature of the Vietnamese

Boat Refugees, the bitter moral and political dilemma posed by them.

We told of the endless horrors afflicting boat refugees, the shocking

conditions of their boats and Hong Kong's readiness to accept all

who came to our shores. The interview was broadcast in full length

at 5.10 p.m.

Press-Conference at Danish Interchurch Aid in the presence of:

*

Ritzans Bureau (distributes news items to all Danish papers)

Berlingske Tidende.

Kristeligt Dagblad

Radio Denmark through Mr. Poulsen.

The two papers on 20th May gave a fair account of the interview and

stressed Hong Kong's problems and our appeal to take refugees from

Hong Kong.

Radio Denmark at 7.10 p.m. again broadcast a story, this time high-

lighting Hong Kong's role, the slow movement of refugees from Hong

Kong, the fair treatment given to refugees in Hong Kong and our appeal

to Denmark to take more refugees from us..

- 3.