TNAG-1421-FCO40-1904-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1985 — Page 119

262)

OCMIAN 0242

CONFIDENTIAL

PP HELSI

FM FCOLN TO HELSI

230945Z OCT

GRS 492

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO PRIORITY HELSINKI

TELNO 193

OF 230945Z OCTOBER 85

INFO HONG KONG, UKMIS GENEVA

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MKK Z43.12

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RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

2 50CT 1985

DESK OFFICER INDEX

REGISTRY

PA

Action Taken

YOUR TELNO 200: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG

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KEN WOODHOUSE, A HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL WHO ATTENDED THE RECENT EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING OF UNHCR IN GENEVA AS A MEMBER OF THE UK DELEGATION, HAS ASKED US TO PASS TO YOU THE FOLLOWING ACCOUNT OF HIS DISCUSSION WITH THE FINNISH REPRESENTATIVE AT THE MEETING:

BEGINS.

(I)

(II)

(III)

I MET ANTTI SEPPALA, GOVERNMENT COUNSELLOR FROM THE MINISTRY OF SOCIAL AFFAIRS AND HEALTH, HELSINKI.

HE HAD SPOKEN SEPARATELY AT RECEPTIONS TO THE AMBASSADOR AND MYSELF AND HAD MADE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT STATEMENTS ABOUT 100 REFUGEES BEING ACCEPTED FROM HONG KONG. DISABLED CASES HAD BEEN MENTIONED.

HE SAID THAT FINLAND WOULD TAKE 100 REFUGEES FROM THE REGION WITH THE MAJORITY COMING FROM HONG KONG. HE EXPLAINED THAT HE HAD HEADED A FINNISH DELEGATION TO HONG KONG LAST YEAR WHEN IT TOOK QUOTE A SMALL NUMBER UNQUOTE (OUR FIGURES ARE 57 IN 1983 AND 54 IN 1984). THE FINNS WERE BUILDING A NEW RECEPTION CENTRE FOR REFUGEES AND, THEREFORE, HOPED TO TAKE MORE THIS YEAR. HE THOUGHT

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