TNAG-1068-FCO40-1318-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-in-the-UK-1981 — Page 121

CA096 12.17

COL HKGOVT G

0211190÷HX04

HKGIS HX

KEY

61

29404 HKGOVT G

TX 831 / LIS 230 OF 24TH MARCH, 1901.

1

NOTE - Copy to Feo,

PLEASE PASS TO SECRETARY FOR SECURITY FROM HELEN YU ALSO SECRETARY FOR INFORMATION

ON 15.3.81 AT 1700 HOURS, RADIO 4 BROADCAST THE REPORT FROM HK, LASTING 2 MINS 45 SECS, ON 'SELECTION

OF 30AT PEOPLE FROM BRITAIN'.

2.

57

THIS REPORT HAS HAD AN UNSETTLING EFFECT ON HOME OFFICE AND UK VOLUNTARY AGENCIES IN VIETNAMESE REFUGEE

WORK. THE RESULTING ALARM AND ANXIETY DO NOT AUGUR WELL. FOR OUR CAUSE: THIS IS MOST UNFORTUNATE.

L

THE TRANSCRIPT REACHED ME LATE YESTERDAY EVENING. A COPY HAS GONE BY POST TO DIS. HOWEVER, YOU SHOULD SEE

IT AS A MATTER OF URGENCY, PARTICULARLY IN THE LIGHT OF THE S OF S'IMMINENT VISIT.

4.

THE TRANSCRIPT FOLLOWS :

CUOTE

ROBERT WILLIAMS:

HKGD with HK's

червено

seat 27.3.87

30%3 Mr Mortice to Faft

1. You will have

Seen Hong Kong's reply

to this Friday's

See (207

distribution

MAS

28.

3

CAN I PERHAPS REMIND YOU OF A STORY THAT'S BEEN OUT OF THE HEADLINES FOR THE PAST FEW MONTHS AND THAT'S THE SAGA OF THE VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE. YOU MAY NOT HAVE HEARD MUCH

ABOUT IT, BUT IT'S STILL GOING ON, THOUGH THE EMPHASIS SEEMS TO BE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT. INSTEAD OF THE ORIGINAL PROBLEM OF MANY THOUSANDS OF REFUGEES WANTING TO BE RE-PATRIATED TO ANY COUNTRY IN THE FREE WORLD AND LEFT ALONE TO MAKE A LIVING, THINGS SEEM TO HAVE CHANGED. NOTHING ILLUSTRATES THIS BETTER

THAN THE TASK FACING A THREE MAN. BRITISH DELEGATION NOW IN HONG KONG. THEY WENT THERE TO SELECT FROM CAMPS, ALL HOLDING ABOUT 20,000 REFUGEES, THE LAST 500 TO FULFIL BRITAIN'S QUOTA OF 10,000. AS PAUL MAIDMENT REPORTS FROM HONG KONG, THE JOB WASN'T THAT EASY.

PAUL MAIDMENT:

THEY VE COME TO HONG KONG TO LOOK FOR THE FINAL 500 TO- MAKE UP BRITAIN'S QUOTA OF 10,000 THAT BRITAIN AGREED TO AT THE GENEVA CONFERENCE ON THE CHINESE REFUGEES IN 1979, AND THEY CAN ONLY FIND 400 WHO WANT TO COME TO BRITAIN. THEY'RE LEAVING FOR HOME VERY SHORTLY AND IT LOOKS AS THOUGH THEY'LL BE A HUNDRED SHORT.

R.W.:

BUT THERE SURELY ARE A GREAT MANY REFUGEES STILL IN HONG KONG AREN'T THERE, WAITING TO BE RE-SETTLED?