GR 500
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DESKEY 1909002
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FM HONG KONG 190646Z MAR 25
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 556 OF 19 MARCH
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG COVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
YOUR TELNO 414: MP'S LETTER.
1. MIFT CONTAINS THE LETTER REFERRED TO BY MR CANAVAN.
بچے
2. THIS LETTER REPRESENTS ONE OF A SERIES WHICH MRS ELLIOTT HAS BEEN WRITING TO THE TWO ENGLISH NEWSPAPERS IN HONG KONG SINCE DECEMBER. WE ARE SENDING, BY AIRMAIL, COPIES OF THE PREVIOUS CORRESPONDENCE IN THE SERIES.
3. IT WAS DECIDED THAT THE ALLEGATIONS IN THE LETTER OF 1 MARCH
WERE:
(A) GENERAL AND VAGUE :
(3) MATTERS RELATING TO RESETTLEMENT POLICY, WHICH IS NOTHING TO
DO WITH US:
(C) IRRATIONAL: AND
(D) A FISHING EXERCISE.
ACCORDINGLY, WE DECIDED TO IGNORE IT.
4. AS REGARDS YOUR SPECIFIC QUERIES, THE CRITERIA ADOPTED BY THE RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES ARE NOTHING TO DO WITH EITHER HKG OR THE UNHCR. IF WE COULD INFLUENCE THEM, THEN IT FOLLOWS THAT MANY MORE WOULD BE RESETTLED. I UNDERSTAND THAT RELIGION PLAYS NO (NO) PART IN RESETTLEMENT PROSPECTS, NOR DOES QUOTE AMERICAN LAWYERS WHO ARRANGE HOMES UNQUOTE. THE UNHCR SAYS THAT QUOTE THE ALLEGATIONS ARE COMPLETELY WITHOUT FOUNDATION AND UNWORTHY OF COMMENT UNQUOTE.
5. HOWEVER, IT IS A FACT THAT UNACCOMPANIED MINORS, THE DISABLED, FAMILIES AND SINGLE GIRLS ARE RESETTLED EASIER THAN SINGLE MALES. ALL RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES GIVE PRIORITY TO THOSE WHO HAVE RELATIVES IN THEIR COUNTRY: A PREVIOUS RELATIONSHIP WITH THAT COUNTRY WHEN THE REFUGEE WAS IN VIETNAM IS ALSO A FACTOR.
6. GIVEN THE NUMBERS WE HAVE IN HONG KONG, IT IS A REGRETTABLE FACT THAT SOME REFUGEES ARE MORE ACCEPTABLE THAN OTHERS. BECAUSE OF OUR RELIANCE ON THE RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES, WE ARE IN NO (NO) POSITION TO DO ANYTHING OTHER THAN BE GRATEFUL FOR THE NUMBERS THEY DO TAKE. THEY, ON THEIR PART, CAN AFFORD TO PICK AND CHOOSE.
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17.
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