C
FUTURE OF HONG KONG
5.
A dossier of essential background papers on Hong Kong was submitted on 10 June. This included at Annex G a note summarising
developments since September 1982 and where we now stand in our
discussions with the Chinese. Attached is also an unclassified
briefing note.
6. As an Unofficial member of Hong Kong's Executive Council,
(EXCO) whose members are the Governor's advisers, Miss Dunn is aware
of what is happening in the talks. EXCO are closely consulted and
kept in the picture by the Governor. In this connection the Prime
Minister has welcomed in principle the Governor's suggestion that
all nine Unofficial EXCO members be invited to London this summer.
The last visit by a group of EXCO members (including Miss Dunn)
together with some Legislative Council members was in September 1982. A number of other EXCO members have been over separately,
including the Senior EXCO Unofficial, Sir S Y Chung, who called on
Ministers last month.
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
A 7. Paragraphs 5.12 and 5.13 of the General Brief give the
background.
Closed Camp Policy
means
8.
A
•
The closed camps are strictly speaking in breach of the UK's obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights. In January 1983 Mr Pym agreed, because of Hong Kong's
special circumstances, that the legislation could remain in force with the proviso that the Hong Kong Government should revoke it
as soon as the situation allowed. Hong Kong were also asked to amend the rules under which the closed camps are administered to bring them into line with the UK's international obligations. We have recently received the Hong Kong Government's proposed amendments to these rules: these are being considered by FCO Legal Advisers. The closed camp policy appears so far to have had little
deterrent effect on the number of refugees arriving in Hong Kong.