TNAG-1185-FCO40-1487-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-into-the--1982 — Page 54

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DESKBY 160100Z

FM FCO 152025Z DEC 82

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1075 OF 15 DECEMBER

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PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS (FOR WRITTEN ANSWER): SIR P. WALL.

1. THREE FURTHER QUESTIONS FOR REPLY ON FRIDAY: TO ASK THE

SECRETARY OF STATE :-

A) IF HE WILL APPROACH THE UNHCR AND REQUEST HIM TO SPEED UP THE

RESETTLEMENT OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES NOW IN HONG KONG:

B) HOW MANY VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN RESCUED BY BRITISH

SHIPS IN THE PAST THREE YEARS:

HOW MANY OF THESE HAVE BEEN RESETTLED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM:

AND HOW MANY STILL REMAIN IN HONG KONG, RESPECTIVELY:

C) IF HE WILL MAKE A STATEMENT ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE BOAT PEOPLE

RESCUED BY SS CITY OF EDINBURGH AND SS PO YONG (SIC).

2. DRAFT ANSWERS :-

A) WE SHALL CONTINUE TO TAKE EVERY SUITABLE OPPORTUNITY TO DRAW

THE ATTENTION BOTH OF THE UNHCR AND OF COUNTRIES OF POSSIBLE

RESETTLEMENT TO THE NUMBERS OF REFUGEES REMAINING IN HONG KONG.

OUR PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE IN GENEVA, FOR EXAMPLE, MADE AN

URGENT APEAL IN HIS STATEMENT TO THIS YEAR'S MEETING OF THE

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE UNHCR ON 12 OCTOBER,

B) 1537 VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN RESCUED BY BRITISH SHIPS

SINCE JANUARY 1980. 856 HAVE BEEN RESETTLED IN THE U.K. AND 51

ARE STILL IN HONG KONG (GRATEFUL CONFIRMATION OF THIS LAST FIGURE).

C) 8 OF THE 34 BOAT PEOPLE RESCUED BY THE CITY OF EDINBURGH HAVE

BEEN RESETTLED BY UNHCR.

THE REMAINDER ARE EXPECTED IN DUE

UNITED KINGDOM. 17 OF THE 42 BOAT

COURSE TO BE RECEIVED IN THE

PEOPLE RESCUED BY THE PO YANG

HAVE BEEN RESETTLED. APPROPRIATE RESETTLEMENT OF THE REMAINDER.

IS STILL BEING CONSIDERED.

3. ANY COMMENTS BY 161000Z PLEASE: OR, IF APPROPRIATE, TELEPHONE

1

CONFIDENTIAL

/RESIDENT

RESIDENT CLERK