TNAG-1182-FCO40-1484-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-into-the--1982 — Page 37

CODE 18-77

Mr Edgar,

HKGD

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Reference FA 243/23

1180

сс

FA 243/15

M V HUPEH AND M V PO YANG

We spoke again yesterday. I attach as promised a copy of Soden's letter to Burns of 24 August.

1.

2.

It is firmly discouraging on both Hartling's latest proposals and the approach we made on the Hong Kong registered ships.

See/18

183

3. There may be additional arguments with which we might go back to the Home Office. One mentioned to me by Landau of the UNHCR office in London is that other resettlement countries such as Australia, U.S. and Canada will become increasingly reluctant to take a good share of refugees from Hong Kong if we are obviously dragging our feet. You may have an idea from Hong Kong correspondence of how realistic this fear is. The other point is, of course, that if as the Home Office themselves expect the Prime Minister is going to come under pressure in Hong Kong on refugee quotas it may help to be able to offer, on the question of Hong Kong registered ships, what would in my view be a reasonably limited concession. This may come up at any meeting arranged in the light of Soden's para 1. In any case the Prime Minister may also have her own views.

Chylega.

HKK 243/1.

CGE

No

3/9 Ar3/9

CM J Segar

Rm W87

South-East Asian Department

233 5073

27 August 1982

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