TNAG-1184-FCO40-1486-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-into-the--1982 — Page 62

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GRS 359

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DESKBY 28090DZ

FM HONG KONG 280352Z OCT 82

TO IMMEDIATE F C O

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1233 OF 28 OCTOBER

INFO HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON

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RA

HKK 243/1

тор сору

PA Afolio

see 275

FOR HOARE FROM WILLIAMSON

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES MV PO YANG

1. IN GENEVA I SPOKE TO MR R MACDOWALL WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR

VIETNAMESE REFUGEE POLICY IN THE HOME OFFICE ABOUT THE OUTSTANDING PROBLEM OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM THE MV PO YANG.

2. BRIEFLY, THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE PO YANG IS A HONG KONG OWNED BRITISH REGISTERED VESSEL. WHEN IT CAME TO HONG KONG WITH VIETNAMESE REFUGEES ON BOARD THAT HAD BEEN RESCUED AT SEA AN UNDERTAKING WE BELIEVE WAS GIVEN BY THE HOME OFFICE TO ACCEPT THEM FOR RESETTLEMENT IF THEY COULD NOT BE RESETTLED ELSEWHERE. WHETHER OR NOT THIS GUARANTEE WAS GIVEN HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF

DEBATE BETWEEN US AND HMG EVER SINCE.

3. I HAVE A MEETING TOMORROW MORNING WITH UNHCR AND REPRESENTATIVES OF MISSIONS OF RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES IN HONG KONG. AS PART OF THE STANDARD AGENDA WE WILL REVIEW ALL OUTSTANDING SHIP RESCUE CASES. THE FACT THAT THE PO YANG IS STILL OUTSTANDING WILL BE EMBARRASSING AND PREVENT ME FROM PUSHING OTHER RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES HARD TO CLEAR THEIR BACKLOGS.

4. IN GENEVA, MR MACDOWALL SAID HE WOULD SORT THE PROBLEM OUT ON HIS RETURN TO LONDON. GRATEFUL THEREFORE IF YOU WOULD SPEAK TO HIM EXPLAINING THE IMMEDIATE PROBLEM WITH A VIEW TO HIS AGREEING TO TAKE THE 26 OUTSTANDING CASES TO THE UK. GRATEFUL FOR A REPLY DESKBY 290100Z

YOUDE

LIMITED

HK+GD

COPIES TO'

HONG KONG

M V D

SEAD

UND NEWS D

MR DONALD

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GOUT OFFICE LONDON