TNAG-1421-FCO40-1904-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1985 — Page 112

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HELSINKI

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 216

OF 25145OZ OCT

CONFIDENTIAL

INFO ROUTINE UKMIS GENEVA, HONG KONG

(342)

YOUR TELNO 193 : VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG

1. HEAD OF CHANCERY HAD ALREADY SPOKEN TO AMBASSADOR KIVIMAKI (SPECIAL ADVISER ON HUMAN RIGHTS FINNISH MFA, WHO IS HANDLING OUR REQUEST) THE PREVIOUS DAY IN ORDER TO CHECK THE POSITION.

IT IS NOT QUITE AS ADVANCED AS DESCRIBED BY SEPPALA. AFTER

CONSIDERABLE PRESSURE AT LAST WEEK'S NORDIC FOREIGN COUNCIL MEETING, ESPECIALLY AT THE HANDS OF THE DANES, AND ON THE PART OF THE FINNISH RED CROSS DIRECTOR, THE FINNISH GOVERNMENT HAVE NOW APPROVED (AT YESTERDAY''S CABINET MEETING) AN ANNUAL QUOTA OF 100 REFUGEES. THIS IS A MAJOR ADVANCE IN A COUNTRY WHICH, FOR ALL THAP IT MIGHT SAY, ESPECIALLY IN CONSORT WITH ITS NORDIC BRETHREN, IS NOT NOTED FOR THE RECEPTIVENESS OF ITS CITIZENS TO NON-WHITE IMMIGRANTS. FINLAND IS A SMALL AND VERY HOMOGENOUS SOCIETY: POLITICIANS HAVE ALWAYS THEREFORE FELT IT NECESSARY HITHERTO TO PROCEED WITH GREAT CAUTION AND PRAGMATICALLY, AND HAVE ACCORDINGLY UNTIL NOW RESISTED THE NOTION OF AN ACTUAL

QUOTA. THE DECISION TO ADOPT ONE IN ALSO TO BE ACCOMPANIED BY

THE BUILDING OF A NEW RECEPTION CENTRE.

2.

AMBASSADOR KIMIMAKI TOLD HEAD OF CHANCERY THAT IT IS NOW A

QUESTION OF HOW TO IMPLEMENT THIS NEW POLICY. WITHOUT MAKING ANY PROMISES, HE SAID, HIS PERSONAL VIEW WAS THAT THERE WAS A GOOD CHANCE THAT AT LEAST SOME OF THE FIRST YEAR'S QUOTA WOULD BE OFFERED TO VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG. THE CHAIRMAN OF THE PARLIAMENTARY FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, AT A RECEPTION LAST NIGHT, ALSO CONFIRMED TO ME THAT IT WOULD BE VERY MUCH IN LINE WITH NORMAL FINNISH PRACTICE FOR NEWCOMERS TO BE SELECTED FROM AMONG CATEGORIES ALREADY IN FINLAND. ALL THIS BODES WELL, BUT WE ARE TAKING NOTHING FOR GRANTED. OUR NEXT STEP THEREFORE, WILL BE TO SEEK A MEETING WITH SEPPALA WHO, IT SEEMS, WILL HAVE AN IMPORTANT ROLE TO PLAY IN THE INTER-DEPARTMENTAL DETERMIN- ATHON OF THE COMPOSITION OF THE FIRST ANNUAL QUOTA.

BROOKE TURNER

LIMITE

HED

SEAD

Опов WED

DR

LKK 243 22

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

23 OCT 1985

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

PA

xas

حت

COPLES TO

MR RANSTORNE.

REGISTRY

Action Taken

HOFFICE

WNAR HSE

CONFIDENTIAL

(347)