PP KUALA LUMPUR
GPS 600
CYPHER/CAT A
FM FCO 1518352
CONFIDENTIAL
TO PRIORITY KUALA LUMPUR TELNO 199 OF 15 JULY.
FOLLOWING TELEGRAM NOW REPEATED TO YOU AT REQUEST OF DEPARTMENT
WAS RECEIVED FROM HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO 702 OF 13 JULY,
INFO IMMEDIATE UKKIS GENEVA
PRIORITY PEKING, RANGOON.
INFO SAVING HAROL
YOUR TELNO $39:
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.
IT IS VITAL THAT THIS CASE IS NOT CONSIDERED IN ISOLATION.
OUR HANDLING OF THE ""AVA'' KILL BE JUDGED AS A PRECEDENT IN A
WIDE RANGE OF CIRCUMSTANCES, FOR EXAMPLE, THE GRANTING OF PERMISSION FOR THESE 99 TO LAND 11 HONG KONG WOULD :-
(A) ENCOURAGE FUTURE ATTEMPTS BY MANY MORE VIETNAMESE AND SOUTH-
EAST ASIANS TO ENTRE HONG KONG ILLEGALLY:
(B) RESULT IN HONG KONG BEING SEEN AS A SAPE **DUMPING GROUND **
BY EVERY SHIP'S MASTER WHO PICKS UP VIETNAMESE AND CAMBODIAN
REFUGEES IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA!
(C) CAUSE THE UNITED NATIONS AND COUNTRIES SUCH AS THE UNITED STATES TO CONCEIVE OF HONG KONG AS A USEFUL ''HOLDING CENTRE''
FOR ARRANGING THE RESETTLEMENT OF REFUGEES FROM ANYWHERE IN THE AREA
(D) PROVIDE AN INCENTIVE TO HONG KONG FISHERMEN TO CARRY ON A
PROFITABLE BUSINESS CONVEYING VIETNAMESE REFUGEES TO HONG KONG: (E) IN THE LONG RUN SERIOUSLY JEOPARDIZE THE SUCCESSFUL RUNNING
OF OUR IMMIGRATICY POLICY WITH CHINA.
2. EVEN PROVISIONAL ACCEPTANCE OF THIS GROUP WOULD MAKE OUR POLICY
ON REPATRIATION OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM CHIRA MUCH HARDER TO DEPEND PUBLICLY. THE K MT HAVE ALREADY ARGUED THAT OUR RECENT DECISION ON PURELY HUMANITARIAN GROUNDS TO ALLOW THE 19 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES ABOARD THE BRITISH-REGISTERED (AND HONG KONG - OWNED AND OPERATED) TANKER ''CREE'' TO REMAIN IN HONG KONG TEMPORARILY UNTIL THEY FOURD PERVAMENT SETTLEMENT ELSEWHERE IS INCONSISTENT WITH OUR ATTITUDE ON THE REPATRIATION OF CHINESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. (SEE JANVR:N'S LETTER TO DRACE-FRANCIS OF 1 JULY). THE KMT ARGUMENT IS THAT HONG KONG SHOULD BE USED AS A TEMPORARY SAFE GROUND FOR CHINESE REFUGEES' WHO HOPE TO SEEK. ASYLUM IN TAIWAN, IF SUCH
A SITUATION WERE CREATED HERE, IT WOULD BE INTOLERABLE TO THE
CHINESE GOVERNMENT.
2. ADDITIONAL ARGUMENTS IN FAVOUR OF STICKING FIRMLY TO THE POLICY
WHICH YOU HELPFULLY ENDORSE IN YOUR TELEGRAM NO 536 ARE:
(A) HONG KONG HAS ALREADY SHOWN ITSELF TO BE FULLY RESPONSIVE TO
HUMANITARIAN CONSIDERATIONS BY ITS RECEPTION LAST YEAR OF 4,000 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES WHILE ARRANGEMENTS WERE MADE FOR THEIR PERMANENT SETTLEMENT BOTH IN HONG KONG AND ELSEWHERE. (HOW MANY OF THE 4,000 DID BURMA TAKE?):
(9) THE MAJORITY OF THE GROUP (IF NOT ALL) ON THE **AVA** ARE
ETHNIC VIETNAMESE WHO SPEAK NO CANTONESE AND HAVE NO CONNECTION OF ANY KIND WITH HONG KONG. IN CONTRAST, ALL THE ILLEGALS FROM KWANGTUNG PROVINCE WHOM WE REFUSE PERMISSION TO ENTER HONG KONG HAVE A MUCH BETTER CLAIM ON HONG KONG BY REASON OF RACE, LANGUAGE
AND CUSTOM THAN THESE VIETNAMESE:
(0) IN ADITION TO THE CLARA MAEROX** GROUP LAST YEAR, HONG KONG HAS ALREADY ABSORPED SOME 4-5,000 VIETNAMESE WHO MADE THEIR WAY HERE BY A VARIETY OF ILLEGAL MEANS, WE HAVE THEREFORE, ALBEIT
UNWILLINGLY DONE MORE THAN OUR SHARE ALREADY:
(D) LAST YEAR THE UNHOR'S REPRESENTATIVES MADE LITTLE PRACTICAL
CONTROUT FON TO THE RESETTLEMENT OF OUR VIETNAMESE REFUGEES. VE-
SAW THEIR MAIN VALUE AS A POSSIBLE MEANS OF PERSUADING THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT TO TAKE BACK THOSE WHO EXPRESSED A WISH TO RETURN TO VIETNAM. ONNING TO THE INDIFFERENCE SHOWN BY HANOI, THE UNHOR FAILED IN THIS. 14 THE ABSENCE OF CLEAR ASSURANCES BY FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS THAT THEY ARE WILLING TO ADMIT VIETNAMESE REFUGEES, WE ARE SCEPTICAL OF ANY UNDERTAKING BY THE UNHCR TO FIND COUNTRIES OF RESETTLEMENT WITHIN A TIME-SCALE WHICH WOULD BE TOLERABLE TO HONG KONG.
4. WE ASSUME THAT IF THE UNHCR IS PREPARED TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR COSTS OF CARE AND MAINTENANCE IN HONG KONG, HE WOULD BE EQUALLY WILLING TO MEET THESE COSTS ELSEWHERE, WHY SHOULD THEY NOT GO TO BURMA, AT LEAST FOR TEMPORARY FIRST ASYLUM?
S. I HOPE, THEREFORE, THAT WE CAN COUNT ON THE FULLEST SUPPORT OF HMG IN WHAT IS LIKELY TO BE ONLY THE FIRST OF A SERIES OF REALLY
DIFFICULT THIGNATION PROBLES FOR HONG KOWA, MAY I SUGGEST THAT THE DURMESE AMBASSADOR IN LONDON SHOULD WE ASKED IF HIS GOVERNMENT
YOULD BE WILLING TO AD- IT THE GROUP FOR "YENPORARY FIRST ASYLU!!!!
WHILE THE UNHOR ARRAVAGO THEIR RESETTLEMENT AND PAYS FOR THEIR MAINTENANCE MEANWHILE.
6. IT WOULD BE HELPFUL ALSO IF YOU COULD EXPLAY TO THE BURMESE AMBASSADOR (AS WE ARE EXPLAINING TO THE BURYESS CONBUL-GENERAL HERE) THAT OUR RELATIONSHIP ITH KKWAVSTUVE PROVINCE AND OUR PAST EXPERIENCE WITH ILLEGAL IMIGRATION FROM SOUTH-EAST ASIA PUT
ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITY ON THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT TO ADOPT A VERY TOUGH ATTITUDE.
CROSLAND
N