DSR 11C
CONFIDENTIAL
attitudes further in an effort to establish whether they
would in fact be prepared to accept returned refugees and
if so, what scale of punishment they contemplated.
4.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
He made the following points:
Hong Kong continue to accept responsibility as a
place of first asylum as agreed at the Geneva
Conference of 1979. But resettlement countries
are increasingly shirking the responsibilities
leaving Hong Kong with a hard core of refugees
they cannot resettle.
The numbers now in Hong Kong (over 12,000) are
higher than at the same date a year ago and given
the prospect of a new influx in the summer, a
significant net increase in numbers is expected
during 1983.
public opinion in Hong Kong sees the Vietnamese as
illegal immigrants arriving from economic motives
rather than as political refugees. It is
increasingly difficult for the Hong Kong
Government to justify treating Vietnamese
differently from illegal immigrants from China who
are sent back against their will if caught.
forcible repatriation would only apply to new
arrivals after due warning had been given, and
could only take place if credible guarantees
against harsh treatment could be obtained, and
if we were not faced with unreasonable demands by
the Vietnamese for a quid pro quo.
CONFIDENTIAL