CONFIDENTIAL
THE IMMENSE
4. WE POINTED OUT THAT WE HAD ALREADY FULLY EXPOUNDED
DIFFICULTIES OF A LARGE REFUGEE POPULATION IN URBAN AREAS COINCIDING WITH A MASSIVE INFLUX OF IMMIGRANTS FROM CHINA. THE SEEDS OF SOCIAL TENSION WERE ALREADY APPARENT AND FEELINGS WOULD RUN HIGH IF, FOR INSTANCE, A FURTHER INFLUX TOOK PLACE AGAINST THE BACKGROUND OF CONTINUING LOW RESETTLEMENT. ANY DETERIORATION IN THE ECONOMY COULD PUT AT RISK THE POLICY OF ALLOWING REFUGEES TO WORK AND HERE AGAIN NUMBERS WERE A MAJOR CONSIDERATION. HOWEVER,
IT WAS UNREALISTIC TO EXPECT HONG KONG TO BE ABLE TO PRODUCE ARGUMENTS COMPARABLE TO THOSE DEPLOYED ELSEWHERE. THE POLITICAL, AS WELL AS THE HUMANITARIAN, CASE FOR RELIEVING THAILAND'S BURDEN WAS WELL UNDERSTOOD BUT WE HAD CONSIDERABLE DOUBTS ABOUT THE NEED TO GO SO FAR DOWN THE ROAD OF REWARDING MALAYSIAN BLACKMAIL. IN ANY EVENT, WWE COULD NOT AND WOULD NOT RESORT TO EMPTY POSTURING BY PRETENDING THAT WE COULD SERIOUSLY CONSIDER. TURNING BOATS AWAY. WE COULD THEREFORE ONLY EXPECT BETTER TREATMENT IF THERE WAS SOME WILLINGNESS IN WASHINGTON TO ACCEPT THAT REFUGEES IN HONG KONG HAD AS MUCH REASON AS THOSE ELSEWHERE TO EXPECT A REASONABLY EARLY START TO MAKING A NEW LIFE AFTER THE TRAUMA OF THEIR DEPARTURE FROM VIETNAM.
5. WE ARE AWARE OF THE DANGERS OF NAGGING THE AMERICANS AND OF THE DIFFICULTY IN GETTING OFFICIALS IN WASHINGTON TO FOCUS ON A PROBLEM WHICH THEY MUST REGARD AS RELATIVELY TRIVIAL IN CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCES. HOWEVER, WE CANNOT AFFORD THROUGH INACTIVITY TO ALLOW ANY FURTHER EROSION OF THE US COMMITMENT TO RESETTLE ADEQUATE
NUMBERS OF REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG. WWE SHOULD THEREFORE BE GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD CONSIDER FURTHER APPROACHES IN WASHINGTON. FROM OUR DISCUSSIONS WITH SHOESMITH WE BELEIVE THAT THE BEST APPROACH MIGHT BE TO THE NEW PRESIDENTIAL REFUGEE CO-ORDINATOR, AMBASSADOR PALMEIRI, AND TO NEWSOME IN THE STATE DEPARTMENT. FOG IN SAN FRANCISCO PREVENTED PALMEIRI FROM CALLING HERE DURING HIS RECENT REGIONAL TOUR SO THERE IS ALREADY A CASE FOR PRESENTING HIM WITH OUR VIEW OF THE REFUGEE PROBLEM. SHOESMITH HAS ALSO SUGGESTED ON A PERSONAL BASI S NEWSOME MIGHT BE RECEPTIVE TO A PRESENTATION WHICH DREW, EVEN IF ONLY INDIRECTLY, ON THE STRONG SUPPORT BEING GIVEN BY HMG TO THE US POSITION ON
AFGHANISTAN.
CON
2 CONFIDENTIAL
/6. THIS
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