TNAG-1184-FCO40-1486-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-into-the--1982 — Page 60

CONFIDENTIAL

5. HONG KONG NOW HAS THE LARGEST POPULATION OF BOAT REFUGEES

IN THE REGION. 40 PERCENT OF THEM HAVE BEEN HERE FOR OVER 2 YEARS.

6. ALTHOUGH I BRIEFED THE AUSTRALIAN COMMISSION (AND ABOUT 20 OTHER CONSULS/COMMISSIONERS) ON THE POSITION ON THE 17TH SEPTEMBER A FURTHER APPROACH TO THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT IN CANBERRA MIGHT

ENCOURAGE THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT TO ADOPT A MORE GENEROUS POLICY TOWARDS HONG KONG AND ACCEPT REFUGEES AT A HIGHER RATE.''

YOUDE

LIMITED

SEAD

HK + GD

FED

UND

NEWS D

PS

PS/LORD BELSTEAD

PS/ PUS

MR DONALD

MR URE

COPIES TO:

HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE, LONDON

CONFIDENTIAL

THIS TELEGRAM WAS NOT

ADVANCED

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