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9. THE MATTER NOW RESTS WITH HMG, BUT, IF IT WERE TO BE IMPLEMENTED, THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WOULD SEEK TO GIVE MAXIMUM PUBLICITY TO ITS NEW PROPOSAL TO REPATRIATE ARRIVALS FROM VIETNAM, BY MEANS OF BBC
AND VOICE OF AMERICA PROGRAMMES TO VIETNAM AND WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT. AT A GIVEN POINT IN TIME, WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED WELL IN ADVANCE, THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WOULD BEGIN TO IMPLEMENT THE NEW POLICY. 30ATS ARRIVING IN HONG KONG WATERS WOULD BE NOTIFIED, IN WRITING, THAT, IF THEY CONTINUED TO ENTER HONG KONG, ANY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ON BOARD WOULD BE SPEEDILY AND SAFELY RETURNED TO VIETNAM, UNLESS THERE WERE OVERRIDING REASONS TO THE CONTRARY. WE WOULD SEEK THE CO-OPERATION OF THE UNHCR TO HELP IDENTIFY GENUINE REFUGEES SEEKING ASYLUM. AN INDEPENDANT TRIBUNAL
WOULD BE ESTABLISHED TO CATER FOR APPEALS. THOSE WHO HAD FAILED TO ESTABLISH A BONA FIDE CASE FOR ASYLUM WOULD BE DETAINED IN A SPECIAL CENTRE, PRIOR TO THEIR REPATRIATION TO VIETNAM. IT IS RECOGNISED THAT THIS COULD ONLY TAKE PLACE WITH THE CO-OPERATION OF THE GOVERNMENT OF VIETNAM AND IT IS AGAIN EMPHASISED THAT ITS IMPLEMENTATION WOULD BE SUBJECT TO THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT BEING SATISFIED THAT THOSE
RETURNED WOULD NOT BE MALTREATED.
10. IT IS ENVISAGED THAT IT WOULD ONLY BE NECESSARY TO RETURN ONE OR TWO PLANE LOADS OF REFUGEES FOR ITS DETERRENT EFFECT TO RESULT IN A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION AND, EVENTUALLY, THE CESSATION OF ILLEGAL MIGRATION.
11. HOWEVER, THIS IS FOR THE FUTURE. OUR PRESENT SITUATION REQUIRES US TO CONTINUE TO RELY ON RESETTLEMENT AND, IN THIS REGARD, THE ATTITUDE OF HMG IS CONTINUING TO HAVE A HARMFUL EFFECT ON OUR ABILITY TO PERSUADE OTHER COUNTRIES TO ACCEPT VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG. IT IS POINTED OUT FREQUENTLY THAT HMG TOOK 38
REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG IN 1984. IT IS SAID THAT HMG IS ABDICATING
ITS RESPONSIBILITY. THEREFORE, IT IS ARGUED, WHY SHOULD OTHERS HELP? IT IS DIFFICULT TO COUNTER THESE ARGUMENTS AND, THEREFORE, THE CRITICAL ROLE WHICH HMG PLAYS IN ANY SOLUTION TO HONG KONG'S REFUGEE PROBLEM CANNOT BE OVER-EMPHASISED. ANY SUGGESTION THAT HMG WILL CEASE TO TAKE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG, OR WILL NOT INCREASE ITS ALREADY MUCH CRITICISED OFFTAKE, WOULD HAVE DISASTROUS CONSEQUENCES FOR HONG KONG.
12. THERE ARE ALREADY INDICATIONS THAT THE AMERICANS, IRRITATED BY THE ATTITUDE OF HMG, ARE PROPOSING A REDUCTION IN THEIR MONTHLY OFFTAKE OF 100, TO 50 PER MONTH. ALTHOUGH THIS HAS YET TO BE CONFIRMED, WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THIS IS BECAUSE THEY FEEL THAT
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HMG.