TNAG-0975-FCO40-1194-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-in-other--1980 — Page 11

INFORMATION BRANCH

GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT

24375

AKK 24:

RALLIVED IN ALOISTRY NO. 51

14 NOV.1980

布政司署新聞科

INDEX

PA

Action Taken

1710 New World Tower, 16-18 Queen's Road, Central, Hong Kong. Tel:15 211381 香港皇后大道中16-18號 新世界大廈1710室 電話:5-211381

Aw!

Our Ref.: IB 581/2 IV 本署檔號:

Your Ref.:

來函檔號:

па

TOOB

R.S. Gorham Esq.,

British Embassy, 16-20 Uudenmaankatu, Helsinki 12, Finland.

Dear Gorkan

PAJT.

27th October, 1980

I am writing to you as Secretary to the Executive Committee of the Hong Kong Community Council for the Resettlement of Vietnamese Refugees. This body consists partly of Government officials and partly of representatives of the leading voluntary agencies working directly with Vietnamese refugees here. On our committee is Dr. Karl Stumpf, the Director of the Hong Kong Christian Service.

Karl Stumpf recently attended a UNHCR workshop in Geneva on the integration of Indo-Chinese refugees which was attended by Government representatives and persons from voluntary agencies in overseas countries of resettlement. While there Dr. Stumpf met a Finnish government official. Dr. Stumpf's understanding now is that Finland would be prepared to take a proportion of handicapped and less favoured refugees. This is a possibility in which we in Hong Kong, with some 26,000 boat refugees still here awaiting resettlement overseas, are interested in. Dr. Stumpf has asked me to inquire of you whether you are aware of a suitable voluntary organisation, perhaps a church group (?Lutheran), which he could contact to discuss this matter further. We feel that it is better explored in this way at this stage. I would be very grateful if you could assist me with any names and addresses.

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