TNAG-1421-FCO40-1904-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1985 — Page 174

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TELELETTER FILE REE

OF 15210OZ OCTOBER 85

K 243 RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

22 OCT 1985

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

REGISTRY

PA

Action Taken

AND TO TELELETTER HONG KONG, UKMIS GENEVA, NEW YORK

FROM S J GOMERSALL ESQ, WASHINGTON

TO MISS O WALKER, HKD, FCO, GOVERNOR HONG KONG, CG NEW YORK (FOR DORWARD)

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG

248/1.

PLEASE REFER TO OUR TELNO 2752 OF 1 OCTOBER. WE HAVE HEARD NOTHING OF LOBBYING OF THE US DELEGATION TO EXCOM IN GENEVA, BUT YOU MIGHT LIKE TO KNOW THAT WE HAVE FOLLOWED UP HERE OUR ORIGINAL DEMARCHES OF 1 OCTOBER WITH, I REGRET TO SAY, LESS ENCOURAGING

RESULTS THAN WE WOULD LIKE.

2. I TELEPHONED FORNOFF, DOUGLAS' ASSISTANT, LAST WEEK TO ASK WHETHER THERE WAS ANY NEWS ON DOUGLAS SUGGESTION OF A QUOTE QUICK GESTURE UNQUOTE. FORNOFF SAID THAT IN THE EVENT, DOUGLAS HAD BEEN UNABLE TO DO ANYTHING BEFORE GOING ON TRAVELS (UNSPEC- IFIED) FROM WHICH HE RETURNS TODAY. WE WILL KEEP PRESSING

DOUGLAS OFFICE.

3. THE BUREAU OF REFUGEE PROGRAMS TOLD US THAT, BECAUSE OF UNCERTAINTIES ABOUT THEIR BUDGET FOR FY1986 (THE HOUSE APPROP- RIATIONS COMMITTEE HAVE RECOMMENDED A DOLLARS 45 MILLION CUT IN THE RUDGET FOR ADMISSION PROGRAMMES THOUGH THIS IS NOT. THE FINAL WORD): THERE VERE TOO MANY DOMESTIC UNCERTAINTIES FOR THEM TO BE IN A POSITION TO RESPOND SOON. THEY HINTED THAT IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE FOR HONG KONG TO PICK UP SOME UNFILLED PLACES IN PROGRAMMES FOR OTHER FIRST ASYLUM COUNTRIES, BUT THE ADMINISTRATION WOULD NOT KNOW FOR A FEW WEEKS WHETHER THEY WOULD HAVE ENOUGH HEAD ROOM TO DO SOMETHING EXTRA FOR HONG KONG ITSELF. THEY WERE HOW- EVER LOOKING FORWARD TO A FURTHER DISCUSSION WITH WOODHOUSE (HONG KONG GOVERNMENT) NEXT WEEK.

4. A STAFFER TO SENATOR SIMPSON, CHAIRMAN OF THE SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE SUB-COMMITTEE ON IMMIGRATION AND REFUGES POLICY, TO WHOM WE WROTE ABOUT HMG'S RESPONSE TO THE SCORRI REPORT, HAS WRITTEN (COPY BY BAG) SAYING THAT THE ABSENCE OF DIRECT TIES TO THE US MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR THE UNITED STATES TO TAKE VIETNAMESE REF- UGEES FROM HONG KONG, AND SUGGESTING THAT WE SHOULD PURSUE VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION AS A QUOTE DURABLE SOLUTION UNQUOTE FOR THE HONG KONG REFUGEES. SIMPSON IS BY NO MEANS THE ONLY VOICE ON THE

HILL, BUT HE IS INFLUENTIAL. I WOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR AN UP-TO- DATE BRIEF FORM OF WORDS ON VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION WITH WHICH TO

REPLY.

SIGNED S J GOMERSALL

ORWRAN 2969

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