A 157
PS/Lord Belstead
ци
Hin 243
CONFIDENTI
ht
再
Ploro 1318
Ministe
Прив. По
4/8
LETTER FROM MR NORMAN LAMONT MP: TREATMENT OF REFUGEES IN HONG KONG
Problem
1.
To reply to a letter from Mr Norman Lamont MP on the subject
of the treatment of Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong.
165
T52
Recommendation
2.
I recommend that Lord Belstead reply on the lines of the
attached draft. SEAD concur.
Background and Argument
3.
See (167
(167)
At 20 July, there were 11,893 Vietnamese refugees in Hong
Kong, including 486 awaiting repatriation to China and 727 housed
in closed camps under the new policy.
4.
It is not clear to what recent events Mr Lamont's
constituent is referring in her letter. It is possible that she
means the recently introduced closed camp policy, the background
to which is set out in my submission of 23 July. But it is perhaps
better not to draw attention to this in the reply.
H McQuade
4 August 1982
Hong Kong and General Department
CONFIDENTIAL