TNAG-1275-FCO40-1625-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 136

RESTRICTED

Key

ง

авто сове

1712

whole

to temp.

8 His

~1812

4

sex.

245/

р

P.A 8,

H ofe

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG

1.

At the King's dinner last night Mr Wenström told me that a firm decision had now been taken, in response to my appeal to the Minister on 18 November 1982, to take 250 Vietnamese refugees from Hong Kong in 1983. He thought a lot of them might be ethnic Chinese and/or family reunion cases.

2.

I said this was a generous response to our urgent appeal and my thanks went to his Minister, Mrs Gradin. The ethnic origins of the new uptake seemed unimportant to me: what was important was lightening Hong Kong's burden.

18 February 1983

Oles

DF Murray

Cc:

SEAD

R Margolis Esq

Dep Pol Adviser, Hong Kong

B D Adams Esq

UKMIS, Geneva

SJ Gomersall Esq Washington

RESTRICTED