TNAG-1420-FCO40-1903-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1985 — Page 114

GRS 200

CONFIDENTIAL

FM WASHINGTON

TO PRIORITY FCO

CONFIDENTIAL

(248)

GOP

IMKK 243/2

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

02 OCT 1985

TEL NO 2752

OF 01193OZ OCTOBER 35

DESK OFFICER

REGISTRY

INFORMATION PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA, HONG KONG, CANBERRA,

OTTAWA, UKMIS NEW YORK, CGʻ NEW YORK (FOR DORWARD)

INDEX

PA

Action Taken

AND TO HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON

202

YOUR TEL NO 1492: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG: SCORRI REPORT

1. SUMMARY

THE US ADMINISTRATION WARMLY WELCOMES OUR DECISION. HONG KONG'S

SHARE OF THE 40,000 CEILING PROPOSED FOR SOUTH EAST ASIAN

REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT IN THE US IN FY 1986 UNLIKELY TO RE DECIDED

UNTIL LATE IN THE YEAR. BUT THE ADMINISTRATION WILL CONSIDER

A QUICK GESTURE FOR HONG KONG TO GIVE ADDED IMPETUS TO HMG'S

EFFORT.

2. DETAIL

I TOOK ACTION WITH AMBASSADOR DOUGLAS (CO-ORDINATOR FOR REFUGEE

AFFAIRS, STATE DEPARTMENT,) ON 1 OCTOBER. WE HAVE ALSO SPOKEN

SEPARATELY TO PURCELL, DIRECTOR FOR REFUGEE PROGRAMS, STATE

DEPARTMENT, AND HAVE INFORMED INS OF NMG'S RESPONSE TO THE SCORRI

REPORT. I AM ALSO WRITING TO SENIOR CONGRESSMEN IN THE COMMITTEES CURRENTLY CONSIDERING ADMINISTRATION PROPOSALS FOR REFUGEE ADMISSIONS FROM EACH REGION IN FY86 (IE THE YEAR STARTING TODAY): THE PROPOSED REGIONAL CEILING FOR SOUTH EAST ASIA IS 40,000. 3. ROTH DOUGLAS AND PURCELL WARMLY WELCOMED HMG'S DECISION.

IT WAS WHAT THE UNITED STATES HAD BEEN WAITING FOR.

4. DOUGLAS SAID THAT HE PLANNED TO CONVENE ANOTHER MEETING OF THE CONSULTATIVE GROUP OF RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES, PROBABLY IN NOVEMBER, TO FASHION A JOINT APPROACH TO THE PROBLEM OF LONG- STAYERS IN COUNTRIES OF FIRST ASYLUM THROUGHOUT SOUTH EAST ASIA. IT MIGHT IN THE LONG TERM RE BETTER FOR HONG KONG IF HMG MADE ITS CONTRIBUTION TO THIS BROADER EFFORT, RATHER THAN PUSHING TOO STRONGLY FOR HONG KONG ALONE. BUT HE UNDERSTOOD HIG'S POLITICAL REQUIREMENTS. AN EARLY US RESPONSE MIGHT BE DIFFICULT WHILE CONGRESS WAS STILL IN THE PROCESS OF RESPONDING TO THE ADMINISTRATION'S FY36 PROPOSALS. BUT DOUGLAS UNDERTOOK TO EXPLORE IMMEDIATELY WITHIN THE ADMINISTRATION WHETHER THEY COULD COME UP WITH A QUICK GESTURE OF SUPPORT TO GIVE A BOOST TO OUR CURRENT EFFORT.

5. DOUGLAS ALSO SAID THAT HE ALSO WANTED TO HELP US WITH THE DOMESTIC POLITICAL PROBLEMS OF RESETTLEMENT, AND SUGGESTED THAT CONTACTS PETWEEN US MINORITY COMMUNITY LEADERS AND MUTUAL ASSISTANCE ASSOCIATIONS MIGHT BE PROFITABLE.

S.

PURCELL SAID THAT OUR DECISION COULD DO NOTHING BUT HELP, AND WOULD REMOVE A BONE OF CONTENTION BETWEEN HMG AND THE RESETTLE- MENT COUNTRIES. THERE WERE GENUINE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG AND

THE US WOULD REMAIN COMMITTED TO THE OBJECTIVE OF REDUCING HONG KONG'S REFUGEE POPULATION. ASSUMING NO NEW INFLUX, IT MIGHT

E POSSIBLE TO THINK OF HALVING THE CURRENT FIGURE.

CONFIDENTIAL

17.