INILAHJAH
3. There is evidence that the Vietnamese Government have organized
and profited by the recent exodus of boat refugees (which is clearly
part of a deliberate policy to rid the country of its Chinese
minority).
The Secretary of State summoned the Vietnamese Ambassador
on 23 January to express the Government's concern.
4.
The Vietnamese Government have said they will cooperate with
the UNHCR in taking measures to allow those Vietnamese who wish to
do so to leave Vietnam in an orderly fashion.
But it remains to be
seen whether this statement represents a genuine change of heart
if and, even/so, how it will work out in practice.
5. The Hong Kong Government have passed legislation to help them
deal with racketeers involved in the refugee trade and to deter
such racketeers from entering the Colony.
Hong Kong's refugee admission policy
6. The Hong Kong Government's recent decision to allow over 3,000
refugees aboard the HUEY FONG to land in Hong Kong pending resettle-
ment elsewhere did not signify a change of policy on the part of the
Hong Kong authorities on the admission of refugees. Their policy
was explained in Mr Luard's written Answer on 16 January. The
HUEY FONG passengers will join the long resettlement queue in the
Colony (now over 10,000 people excluding the 3,000 on the SKYLUCK).
7. To qualify for permanent settlement in Hong Kong, a refugee from Vietnam should normally be either a spouse, a dependentchild
or a dependent elderly parent of somebody who is already a permanent
resident of the Colony. Exceptions are, however, made when there
are strong humanitarian reasons for doing so.
/8. In