Б
GRS 400
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 1732
OF 2711OOZ AUGUST 85
CONFIDENTIAL
YOUR TELNO 1194 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES : SCORRI REPORT.
1. WITH REGARD TO PARA 1 OF TUR, WE HAVE CONSULTED THE AUSTRALIANS WHO HAVE NO OBJECTION TO THE REFERENCE IN PARA 12 OF YOUR TELNO 1168. HOWEVER, THEY CANNOT CONFIRM THAT THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF FIRST GRADUATES OF THE VOCATIONAL PROGRAMME RESETTLED FROM MALAYSIA IS 50. THEY SAY THE NUMBER IS PROBABLY 50 BUT SUGGEST THAT THE WORDS SOME 50 OR A NUMBER, BELIEVED TO BE 50'' BE USED.
2. WITH REGARD TO PARA 2 OF TUR, EXCO WERE CONSULTED THIS MORNING ON RECOMMENDATION 5(IV). SIR S Y CHUNG WAS OF THE VIEW THAT RECOMMENDATIONS 5(111) AND 5(IV) ARE LINKED AND THAT IT WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE FOR HONG KONG TO SAY THAT IT WOULD ACCEPT ETHNIC CHINESE FOR RESETTLEMENT WITHOUT AN ASSURANCE THAT BRITAIN WOULD ALSO ACCEPT A SHARE OF THOSE REFUGEES WHO ARE HARD TO RESETTLE AND HAVE SPENT YEARS IN THE CAMPS. THIS VIEW WAS SHARED BY OTHER MEMBERS.
3. MEMBERS NOTED THAT THE QUESTION OF ALLOWING ETHNIC CHINESE TO SETTLE IN HONG KONG HAS BECOME MUCH MORE SENSISTIVE THAN BEFORE BECAUSE OF THE SENDING BACK OF THE 14 BOAT BRIDES. TO ACCEPT FOR RESETTLEMENT ETHNIC CHINESE REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM IN THE WAKE OF REPATRIATING THE CHINESE WIVES OF FORMER HONG KONG FISHERMEN WOULD APPEAR TO GIVE PREFERENCE TO PEOPLE FROM VIETNAM AND COULD HAVE CONSIDERABLE POLITICAL REPERCUSSIONS LOCALLY.
4. HOWEVER, AFTER FURTHER DISCUSSION, MEMBERS AGREED THAT THE REPLY SHOULD SAY THAT HONG KONG WERE PREPARED TO CONSIDER ACCEPTING THE RESETTLEMENT IN HONG KONG OF A LIMITED NUMBER OF ETHNIC CHINESE IF THE RESETTLEMENT FORMED PART OF A PACKAGE AIMED AT REDUCING DRASTICALLY THE SIZE OF HONG KONG'S VIETNAMESE REFUGEE POPULATION
AND RESETTLING ALL THOSE WHOSE STAY IN CAMPS HAS BEEN PROLONGED.
5. MEMBERS ASKED THAT FURTHER EFFORTS BE MADE TO PERSUADE JAPAN
TO ACCEPT MORE VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG.
YOUDE
LIMITED
HKD
SEAD
UND
PS
PS/MR LUCE
SIR W HARDING
CONFIDENTIAL
f
RECEIVED IN REGİSTİ
28 AUG 1985
DANK OFFICER. INDEX
PA
REGIST
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159