UNCLASSIFIED
Gute (on Resebelast chand (the)
Smith
2. Mr Smith ov
HKGD
WH 312
Reference
HKK 243/2
FA 243/3
RECEIVED IN ABOVVIPY NO. 51
DESK INDEX
NO
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG
12 JAN1983
PANTRY
Action Taker.
な
PA
2317/%
GB 17/1
5
L
nofher
of ha
4.
1.
AUSTRALIA
I see that, as I half expected, Hong Kong have replied (their telno 1 to Canberra) to Canberra's telno 2 to us.
2. I had however prepared some figures myself for Canberra to use. I don't think it would be wise now to send them out as a telegram because the approach and arguments are somewhat different and
it would only confuse the issue (you will recall that Canberra wanted something 'readily understandable').
3. For future use, nevertheless, it may be worth having these points to hand:-
(a)
Australia has continued to take more refugees proportionately from ASEAN states than from Hong Kong. Last year, up to end November, they took 3,777 from Malaysia 14,000 arrivals, ie 27%) and 1,337 from Indonesia (of her 7,680 arrivals, ie 17.5%) but only 343 from Hong Kong of her 7,741 arrivals, ie less than 4.5%.
(b) Historically, the two other main resettlement destinations, USA and Canada, have taken more consistent proportions. Since 1976 the US has taken 83,000 of Malaysia's 179,000 arrivals (46%), 39,000 of Indonesia's 76,000 (51%) and 48,000 of Hong Kong's 109,000 (44%); and Canada 22,500 (ie 12.5%) from Malaysia, 9,500 (ie 12.5%) from Indonesia and 14,500 (13.3%) from Hong Kong.
The second argument might become less and less useful during 1983 if, as we suspect, the US too begins to give priority to refugees in ASEAN states. But their and the Canadians' remarkably consistent performance over the 1976-82 period may in due course also be useful in raising the matter with them (bearing in mind that in both cases we shall to some extent be in a glasshouse throwing stones).
CODE 18-77
SS 8/78
10 January 1983
Ядрук.
CM J Segar
South East Asian Department W 86A
233 5073
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