RESTRICTED
SECRETARY FOR SECURITY:
SIR, IT IS A COMPLEX BUSINESS AS TO WHY WE HAVE MORE REFUGEES.
ONE OBVIOUSLY IS THAT HONG KONG IN BOTH HUMANITARIAN TERMS AND IN
ECONOMIC TERMS IS ATTRACTIVE, NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT, TO PEOPLE FROM
VIETNAM. SECOND, IN CERTAIN TIMES OF THE YEAR IT IS RELATIVELY EASY FOR THE BOAT PEOPLE TO GET HERE, THEN, THIRDLY, OTHER COUNTRIES
PARTICULARLY MALAYSIA AND, I THINK, SINGAPORE AS WELL, POSITIVELY
TURN THE REFUGEES AWAY. THIS IS SOMETHING, I THINK, FOR SOUND
HUMANITARIAN REASONS WE DO NOT DO. THERE IS ALSO THE FACT THAT
CERTAIN COUNTRIES, AUSTRALIA IS A GOOD EXAMPLE, TEND TO GIVE ASEAN
COUNTRIES PRIORITY FOR LONG TRADITIONAL REASONS.''
2. FOR YOUR INFORMATION MACCALLUM, CHAIRMAN OF HONG KONG BRANCH
OF JUSTICE IS QUOTED IN TODAY'S SCMP AS FOLLOWS:
''TO MR IAN MACCALLUM CHAIRMAN OF THE HONG KONG BRANCH OF JUSTICE,
THE QUESTION OF REPATRIATION WAS MORE A POLITICAL PROBLEM. HE SAID
IT WAS NONSENSICAL TO CONSIDER THIS OPTION WITHOUT FINDING OUT IF
VIETNAM WAS PREPARED TO TAKE BACK ITS PEOPLE, ALTHOUGH HE
ENDORSED THE IDEA. 'IT'S MORE HUMANE TO SEND THEM BACK THAN TO
PUT THEM INTO CLOSED CAMPS FOR AN INDEFINITE PERIOD, HE SAID. HE
SAW NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN REPATRIATING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM
CHINA AND REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM, WHO ARE ALSO CONSIDERED TO HAVE
THE SAME STATUS BY THE GOVERNMENT. IF YOU CAN REPATRIATE ONE, YOU CAN REPATRIATE OTHERS,' HE SAID''.
YOUDE
HMITED
HKAGD
SEAD
UND
MR. GIFFARD
MR. DONALD
!
COPIES TO".
HKGO-
LONDON
RESTRICTED