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INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG (FOR GOVERNOR)
INFO ROUTINE UKMIS GENEVA
1269
MY TELNO 187′ OF 8 OCTOBER AND GOVERNOR HONG KONG'S TELNO 2414 OF 5 NOVEMBER: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES: SCORRI REPORT
1. HEAD OF FIRST POLITICAL DIVISION IN THE FOREIGN DEPARTMENT, AMBASSADOR PIANCA, TODAY HANDED ME THE SWISS REPLY. OPERATIVE TEXT IS AS FOLLOWS:
!!
''THE COMPETENT SWISS AUTHORITIES HAVE GREAT UNDERSTANDING
FOR THE BRITISH REQUEST. SWITZERLAND HAS OFFERED, WHENEVER POSSIBLE, SHELTER TO THE PARTICULARLY NEEDY PERSONS COMING FROM SOUTH EAST ASIA.
HOWEVER, DUE TO CONSIDERATIONS OF DOMESTIC POLICY BUT ALSO DUE TO THE FACT THAT SWITZERLAND DECIDED TO ACCEPT, A FEW WEEKS AGO, A GROUP OF REFUGEES FROM ANOTHER ASIAN STATE, THE COMPETENT SWISS AUTHORITIES ARE, UNFORTUNATELY, NOT IN A POSITION TO ADMIT, FOR THE TIME BEING, A NEW CONTINGENT OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.
2. IN DISCUSSION PIANCA EMPHASISED THAT THE SWISS ANSWER WAS NOT ''NEVER'' BUT REGRETTABLY, NOT FOR THE TIME BEING''. IN CONFID- ENCE, HE SAID THAT THE REFERENCE TO ANOTHER GROUP OF REFUGEES WAS TO BAHAI IRANIANS. HE AGREED WITH MY SUGGESTION THAT THE ''DOMESTIC POLICY BACKGROUND TO THE SWISS REFUSAL LIES IN THE PROBLEMS CAUSED BY THE LARGE INFLOW OF TAMILS AND TO A LESSER EXTENT OF ZAIREANS, WHICH IS A LEADING SUBJECT OF POLITICAL CONTROVERSY AT PRESENT. SOME ZAIREANS HAVE BEEN FORCIBLY REPATRIATED ALREADY AND IT IS WIDELY BELIEVES THAT SOME TAMILS WILL BE NEXT.
3.
I SAID THAT I KNEW THAT YOU WOULD REGRET THIS REPLY, AS WOULD THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG, BUT I WOULD OF COURSE TRANSMIT IT.
4.
RICH
FCO PLEASE REPEAT TO OTHER POSTS AS REQUIRED.
LIMITED
HKD
SEAD
UND
WED
SED
ECD(I) ECD (E)
PS/LADY YOUNG PS/MR RENTON PS/PUS
SIR W HARDING MR WILSON
COPIES TO:-
FIR RAWSTHORNE
HKGO LONDON
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HOME OFFICE LUNAR HSE.
MKKC 243/2 RECEIVED IN REUSTRY -
2 6 NOV 1985
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ROG MY
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