UNCLASSIFIED
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
HUD 243/8
345
150012
MDLIAN 6152
RESTRICTED
FM MADRID
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 452
OF 17154OZ JUNE 88
INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG
HANQI, UKMIS GENEVA, EC POSTS, PEKING
281
FCO TELNOS 132 AND 133: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG
1.
ACTION TAKEN BY SECOND SECRETARY CHANCERY WITH THE HEAD OF ASIA DEPARTMENT, JORGE SOBREDO. SOBREDO WAS UNABLE TO SEE US UNTIL 17 JUNE, BUT WE HAD SPOKEN TO HIM BY TELEPHONE, AND DELIVERED A SPEAKING NOTE TO HIM ON 14 JUNE.
2.
✔
WE SAID WE HOPED THAT THE SPANISH GOVERNMENT WOULD BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THIS CHANGE OF POLICY AND WONDERED IF THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP IN REDUCING THE POPULATION OF HONG KONG REFUGEE CAMPS. SOBREDO REPLIED THAT AS FAR AS HE KNEW, SPAIN HAD TAKEN ONLY ONE GROUP OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES (FROM A THAI CAMP), IN ABOUT 1979. MANY OF THOSE WHO CAME TO SPAIN SUBSEQUENTLY LEFT FOR OTHER COUNTRIES WHERE THEY HAD RELATIVES OR OTHER CONNECTIONS. BUT HE SAID HIS DEPARTMENT TOOK
CAREFUL NOTE.
3.
WE DO NOT EXPECT THE SPANISH AUTHORITIES TO TAKE A NEW INITIATIVE ON VIETNAMESE REFUGEES. THE CHANGE IN HONG KONG POLICY WAS NOTED BRIEFLY IN SOME BUT NOT ALL OF THE NATIONAL PRESS. IN GENERAL, THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEE PROBLEM HAS A VERY LOW PROFILE HERE.
GORDON LENNOX
YYYY
DISTRIBUTION
128
ΜΑΙΝ
125
.VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HK
SPD
LIMITED
FED
HKD
SEAD
NEWS
PS
UND
LEGAL ADVISERS
PAGE
1
UNCLASSIFIED
PS/LORD GLENARTHUR
PS MR EGGAR
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