TNAG-1275-FCO40-1625-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 168

Mr. McQuade

John Duncan in Paris

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INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, FCO, WASHINGTON, UKMIS NEW YORK, UKMIS GENEVA (AND HONG KONG REPRESENTATIVE), BRUSSELS (FOR HONG KONG REPRESENTATIVE)

PARIS TELNO 2 TO HONG KONG: PROPOSED RESETTLEMENT OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN FRENCH GUYANA.

THANK YOU FOR THIS REPORT, AND FOR ALL YOUR EFFORTS ON DR STUMPF 'S BEHALF. HE REPORTED TO US ON 10 FEBRUARY ON HIS VISITS TO GENEVA, PARIS, CAYENNE, NEW YORK AND FRANKFURT. NOT SURPRISINGLY, STUMPF PAINTED A VERY ROSY PICTURE OF THE PROSPECTS BOTH OF AGREEMENT FROM THE FRENCH AUTHORITIES IN PARIS AND GUYANA AND OF THE PROSPECTS FOR FINANCING THE OPERATION. ACCORDING TO STUMPF, THE COMITE NATIONAL D'ENTRAIDE DES REFUGIES VIETNAMIENS WERE UNENTHUSIAST IC BUT THE QUAI D'ORSAY AND DOM-TOM RAISED NO OBJECTION PROVIDED THE AUTHORITIES AND THE LOCAL COMMUNITY IN GUYANA ACCEPTED THE PROPOSAL.

2. IN CAYENNE, STUMPF MET THE COMMISSAIRE DE LA REPUBLIQUE AND MEMBERS OF HIS STAFF, THE PRESIDENT OF THE CONSEIL GENERAL, ONE LEADING BUSINESSMAN, A GEOLOGIST, THE DEPARTMENTAL DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE AND THE LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE OF A CANADIAN REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT ORGANISATION. THE COMMISSAIRE WAS APPARENTLY NON-COMMITTAL AND ADVISED THAT RESETTLEMENT WOULD BE A POLITICAL ISSUE. STUMPF CLAIMED THAT THE POLITICIANS AND THE OTHER CONTACTS WERE ENTHUSIASTIC PROVIDED FUNDS WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO HELP GIVE THE REFUGEES A PROPER START (STUMPF MENTIONED US DOLLARS 10 M FOR 5,000 VRS). STUMPF GAINED THE IMPRESSION THAT RESENTMENT BY THE LOCAL POPULATION MIGHT BE OVERCOME IF THE PROPOSAL WERE PROPERLY FUNDED, PARTICULARLY BECAUSE THE PROSPECT OF MORE HARD-WORKING MANPOWER WAS ATTRACTIVE TO LOCAL BUSINESSMEN (E.G. FOR POSSIBLE DEVELOPMENT OF MINERAL RESOURCES).