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FM WASHINGTON 192315Z MAY 83
TO ROUTINE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1408 OF 19 MAY
Miss Weller
INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG, HANOI, UKMIS GENEVA, PARIS, CANBERPA, OTTAWA YOUR TELMO 770: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG
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1. MINISTER TOOK ACTION ON YOUR INSTRUCTIONS WITH AMBASSADOR DOUGLAS, US COORDINATOR FOR REFUGEES, ON 19 MAY. DOUGLAS ADOPTED A TOUGH BUT NOT ENTIRELY UNSYMPATHETIC MANNER, BEING AS HE SAID WELL AWARE OF THE PREDICAMENT OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT. HONG KONG WAS RECEIVING A HIGH PROPORTION OF VIETNAMESE MAINLY FROM THE NORTH, WHO WERE CLASSIFIED AS ECONOMIC MIGRANTS AND SO OUTSIDE THE NATIONAL CRITERIA OF RESETTLEMENT. DOUGLAS DEVELOPED HIS VIEWS ON THE FAIRLY UNCOMPROMISING LINES, WE GATHER, OF HIS DISCUSSION WITH SIR JACK CATER AND OTHERS AT THE RECENT DITCHLEY CONFERENCE ON REFUGESS PROBLEMS.
2. DOUGLAS SAID HE COULD SEE NO EASY SHORT-TERM SOLUTION TO HONG KONG'S PROBLEMS, THOUGH HE PERSONALLY DID NOT EXPECT THIS YEAR'S MIGRATION OF BOAT PEOPLE TO BE SO LARGE. HE CLAIMED THAT THE DECREASE IN OFFTAKE TO THE UNITED STATES WAS A CONSEQUENCE OF THE CHANGE IN PROFILE OF VIETNAMESE EMIGRATION. HE SAID HE COULD NOT REWRITE US IMMIGRATION REGULATIONS TO FIT THE PROBLEMS OF AN INDIVIDUAL COUNTRY OF FIRST ASYLUM BUT HE CLEARLY HAD SOME FLEXIBILITY IN HOW THEY WERE APPLIED. HE HAD FOR EXAMPLE RECENTLY AUTHORISED A RE-EXAMINATION OF SOME OF THE CASES OF THOSE WHO HAD BEEN REJECTED FOR REFUSING EARLIER OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESETTLEMENT (WE TOOK THIS TO BE A REFERENCE TO THE 580 ''UK NO- SHOWS' AND PHILIPPINE REFUSALS). SPEAKING FRANKLY, HE SAID,
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PROBLEMS OF HONG KONG HAD TO BE SEEN, IN US EYES, AGAINST THE BACKGROUND OF OTHER MORE DESPERATE SITUATIONS AROUND THE WORLD. ALS, SINCE NOONE HAD TRIED TO ORCHESTRATE AN INTERNATIONAL EFFORT ON BEHALF OF HONG KONG, (AND DOUGLAS MADE IT CLEAR THAT HE THOUGHT IT WAS UP TO HMG TO DO THIS IN THE UNHCR FORUM) IT WAS DIFFICULT TO ARGUE IN WASHINGTON THAT THE UNITED STATES SHOULD DO SO.
THE
3. DOUGLAS WAS SCEPTICAL ABOUT AN APPROACH TO THE VIETNAMESE TO INCREASE THE NUMBERS LEAVING THROUGH THE ORDERLY DEPARTURE PROGRAMME. THIS WAS THE SORT OF THING DIPLOMATS LIKED TO ENAGE IN BUT IT WOULD NOT GET TO THE HEART OF THE PROBLEM, SINCE THE ODP COVERED ONLY SAIGON AND A FEW PROVINCIAL CITIES, AND THE REFUGEES WHO WERE LEAVING FROM THE NORTH COULD NOT GET OUT THROUGH THE ODP ANYWAY. LOOKING FURTHER AHEAD, HE THOUGH THAT HONG KONG 'S PROBLEMS IN THE END WOULD HAVE TO BE SOLVED BY A LARGE ELEMENT QUOTE OF SAFE REPATRIATION UNQUOTE. BUT HE ASSUMED THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WISH THIS TO BE MANAGED, WITH INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT, UNDER UNHCR AUSPICES. IF BRITAIN WERE SEEN TO BE TAKING A LEAD, SOME OF THE TRADITIONAL RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES MIGHT HE THOUGHT, THEN BE PREPARED TO MAKE MORE EFFORT TO RELIEVE THE WORST OF THE PRESSURE ON HONG
KONG.
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