TNAG-1276-FCO40-1626-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 20

CONFIDENTIAL

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4. In case you have not seen it, I attach a copy of the relevant section on Hong Kong from Ambassador Douglas's latest Report to Congress on the refugee situation around the world. Douglas rather disobligingly refers to loss of resettlement opportunities in the UK as a major cause of Hong Kong's problems, whereas I imagine that if one is talking about absolute numbers, the loss of US resettlement places has been rather more serious. I am afraid this only confirms my view that Douglas, who sees it as his job anyway to reduce Indo/Chinese resettlement in the United States, is determined that we should bear the political responsibility for this part of the problem.

5. Incidentally, we have heard from Douglas's office that his proposed visit to Europe this autumn has been postponed, and that if he visits Britain at all, it is likely to be around Christmas.

Yours

ever

Дикациста

Derek Thomas

Copied to:

Mr NCR Williams - UN Dept, FCO

Mr RJ T McLaren - Political Adviser, Hong Kong Chancery, UKMIS Geneva

CONFIDENTIAL

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