GR 150
CONFIDENTIAL
DESKBY 280900Z
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 280508Z JAN 83
TO IMMEDIATE F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 144 OF 28 JANUARY
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
HKK243/5
A
EVAMO TAURIFY NO. 3
INDEX
No
-
·2 FEB 1983
ICER
RA
25/2 CH212
YOUR TELNO 26 TO BANGKOK
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
YOUR PARAGRAPH 1 CONTAINS A SIGNIFICANT ERROR OF FACT. ONE OF
THE MAIN REASONS WHY WE MUST NOW CONSIDER INVOLUNTARY REPATRIATION IS THAT THE U.S. ARE NO LONGER REGARDING THE PEOPLE REACHING HERE BY BOAT AS REFUGEES. OUR LATEST ESTIMATE IS THAT POSSIBLY ONLY 5% OF THE 3,761 ARRIVALS HERE BY BOAT SINCE 2ND JULY ARE LIKELY TO QUALIFY AS REFUGEES UNDER THE DEFINITION NOW BEING APPLIED BY THE INS.
2. WHAT IS THE EVIDENCE THAT THERE IS A REAL LIKELIHOOD OF PERSECUTION OR REPRISALS WERE ANY TO RETURN HOME''? IT WAS THE EXPLICIT VIEW OF THE PREVIOUS AMBASSADOR TO HANOI, WHEN HE WAS IN HONG KONG, THAT THEY WOULD NOT, REPEAT NOT, BE PERSECUTED AND THAT THEY WOULD NOT, REPEAT NOT, EVEN BE SENT TO A RE-EDUCATION FARM.
3. ON YOUR PARAGRAPH 2, IN RESPECT OF NEW ARRIVALS IT WOULD NOT, REPEAT NOT, BE NECESSARY TO HAVE THE CO-OPERATION OF THE UNHCR. THEY DO NOT, REPEAT NOT, OFFICIALLY BECOME REFUGEES UNTIL WE HAVE HANDED THEM OVER TO UNHCR.
4. THE LINE YOU PROPOSE IN YOUR PARAGRAPH 3 IS, OF COURSE, EXACTLY THE ONE WE HAVE BEEN TAKING (EXCEPT FOR THE REFERENCE TO ''INTERNATIONAL AGENCIES'').
HADDON-CAVE
LIMITED
1
BOAT PEOPLE
PS
PS/LORD BELSTEAD PS/PUS
ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION
BOAT PEOPLE
SEAD
HK & GD
UND
FED
PUSD
NEWS D MAED
MR WRIGHT
MR GIFFARD
MR DONALD MR ADAMS MR URE
COPIES TO:
MR SIDDLE LEGAL ADVISER MISS WILMSHURST
CONFIDENTIAL
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