TNAG-0974-FCO40-1193-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-in-other--1980 — Page 228

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HKK 2435

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dio J.7.1.

FM HONG KONG 150820Z JANUARY 80

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 088 OF 15 JANUARY

INFO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON WASHINGTON CANBERRA OTTAWA PARIS BONN ROME KUALA LUMPUR JAKARTA BANGKOK MANILA SINGAPORE

INFO SAVING HANOI (BANGKOK PSE PASS)

REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM: RESETTLEMENT FROM HONG KONG

See (4

(6)

12

WE ARE CONCERNED THAT THE POOR RATE OF RESETTLEMENT OF BOAT REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG IN 1979 MAY CONTINUE THIS YEAR. THE

REGIONAL TABLE BELOW, USING PROVISIONAL UNHCR FIGURES, SHOWS HOW HONG KONG'S SHARE OF THE BURDEN INCREASED IN 1979 BECAUSE IT HAD THE LOWEST RESETTLEMENT RATE OF ANYWHERE IN THE REGION (FIGURES IN THOUSANDS):

READ IN FOUR COLUMNS COUNTRY A. BOAT REFUGEE POPULATION END 1978 PLUS 1979 ARRIVALS (AS PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL),

B. RESETTLEMENT 1979 (AS PER CENTAGE OF A)

C. BOAT REFUGEES POPULATION 1 JAN 1980 (AS PER CENTAGE OF TOTAL)

HONG KONG

82

(30%)

24

(30%)

56

(40%)

MALAYSIA

103

(38%)

69

(67%) 34

(24%)

INDONESIA

53

(19%)

21

(40%) 32

(23%)

THAILAND

15

(6%)

9

(60%)

6

(4%)

PHILIPPINES 9

(3%)

4

(44%) 5

(4%)

SINGAPORE

4

(1%)

3

(75%)

1

(18%)

OTHERS

7

(3%)

2

(29%) 5

(4%)

TOTAL

191

(100%) 132

(49%)

1.39

(100%)

2. APART FROM THE SPECIAL CASE OF THE UK, THERE IS NO MAJOR RESETTLEMENT PROGRAMME UNDER WHICH WE CURRENTLY EXPECT THE NUMBER

OF BOAT REFUGEES TO BE TAKEN FROM HONG KONG THIS YEAR TO BE AS HIGH A PROPORTION AS THE 40% OF THE TOTAL BURDEN NOW BORNE BY HONG KONG. NOR ARE WE YET AWARE OF ANY CASE IN WHICH UNHCR HAS GIVEN

OR BEEN ASKED FOR ADVICE, IN WHICH IT HAS PUT STRONGLY THE CASE FOR QUOTAS TO BE ALLOCATED MORE FAIRLY.

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/ 3. WE HAVE