TNAG-1524-FCO40-2088-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1986 — Page 116

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ELSEWHERE. THIS IS A VERY HELPFUL CONTRIBUTION BY HONG KONG TO

RESOLVING THE PROBLEM OF HARD TO RESETTLE' REFUGEES IN THE REGION. YOU SHOULD ALSO POINT OUT THAT NO PUBLICITY WILL BE

INITIATED BY HKG (ALTHOUGH IT WILL OF COURSE BECOME PUBLIC) IN AN EFFORT TO REDUCE THE RISK OF DRAWING MORE REFUGEES OUT OF VIETNAM

TO HONG KONG.

3.

ON THE RASRO TRANSIT CENTRE YOU SHOULD SAY THAT HONG

KONG'S AGREEMENT TO ITS ESTABLISHMENT IN HONG KONG REPRESENTS AN

EFFORT TO EASE THE PROBLEMS FACED BY RASRO PARTICIPANTS IN RESETTLING SHIP RESCUE CASES WITHIN THE 90-DAY PERIOD ALLOWED. HONG KONG HAS AGREED TO ESTABLISH THE CENTRE ALTHOUGH BY DOING SO IT WILL, OF COURSE, HAVE TO ACCOMMODATE MORE REFUGEES THAN AT

PRESENT.

4.

YOU SHOULD REITERATE OUR AND HONG KONG'S GRATITUDE TO THE

AUSTRALIANS FOR THEIR MAJOR CONTRIBUTION SO FAR TOWARDS RESOLVING HONG KONG'S REFUGEE PROBLEM, AND FOR THEIR PROMPT AND SUBSTANTIAL RESPONSE TO HONG KONG'S NEEDS (YOUR TELNO 745 (1985) IN HAVING AGREED TO TAKE 200 MORE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG UP TO

JUNE 1986. WE HOPE THAT HONG KONG'S DECISION TO RESETTLE A SUBSTANTIAL ADDITIONAL NUMBER OF REFUGEES FROM THE CAMPS WILL ENCOURAGE THE AUSTRALIANS TO GIVE FAVOURABLE CONSIDERATION TO INCREASING AUSTRALIA'S OFFTAKE FURTHER. WE NOTE THAT THEY HAVE SUGGESTED THAT IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE TO TAKE UP TO 200 ADDITIONAL REFUGEES (BEYOND THOSE THEY HAVE ALREADY AGREED) BEFORE THE END

OF JUNE.

5.

(A)

(B)

(C)

THE FOLLOWING ARE DEFENSIVE POINTS:

ARRIVALS IN UK IN THE POST-SCORRI EXERCISE: 78 AS AT END-JANUARY, THEREAFTER 40 MONTHLY EXPECTED. POSSIBILITY OF FURTHER UK OFFTAKE: TOO EARLY TO SAY.

HMG WILL DECIDE WHETHER TO ACCEPT A FURTHER LIMITED NUMBER OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG, IN ADDITION TO THE FAMILY REUNION CASES, IN THE LIGHT OF THE RESPONSE BY OTHER RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES TO HONG KONG'S NEEDS AND

OF ALL THE CIRCUMSTANCES AT THE TIME.

FALL IN POPULATION OF HONG KONG REFUGEE CAMPS: ALTHOUGH

THE NUMBER OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG FELL BY

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