GRS 2200
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
DESKBY FCO 0409OOZ
FM HONG KONG 0405152 MAR 85
TO IMMEDIATE F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 444 OF 4 MARCH
HKck 243/5
LIVED IN RE-
- 4 MAR WE*
IF FILE
TOP COPY Las
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, UKMIS GENEVA 1. AND HANO1.
(44) 19 50
YOUR TELNOS 278, 279 AND 331: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES:
POLICY PAPER.
WE APPRECIATE THAT THE PAPER IS INTENDED TO BE A DISPASSIONATE
AND FACTUAL ANALYSIS, HOWEVER, WE FEEL THAT IT DOES NOT:
(A) POINT OUT THAT THERE IS POTENTIAL TROUBLE BREWING IN THE CLOSED
CENTRES AS THEIR LENGTH OF STAY CONVINCES SOME OF THEIR INMATES THAT
THEY ARE NOT GOING TO BE RESETTLED:
(B) EXPLAIN THAT WHEREAS THE HONG KONG PUBLIC SUPPORTS THE PRESENT
HKG CLOSED CENTRE POLICY, THERE IS INCREASING CONCERN THAT HONG KONG WILL BE LEFT WITH THESE VIETNAMESE REFUGEES AS THE RESETTLEMENT
COUNTRIES ABDICATE THEIR RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEM:
(C) WARN OF THE DANGER OF THE UK COMMITMENT TO HONG KONG UNTIL
1997 BEING SERIOUSLY CALLED INTO QUESTION BY ITS CONTINUED REFUSAL
TO TAKE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG (OTHER THAN SHIP RESCUE AND FAMILY
REUNION CASES):
(D) POINT OUT THAT INVOLUNTARY REPATRIATION OF ILLEGAL TRAVELLERS
IS HKG POLICY ON THE ADVICE OF EXCO: AND
(E) ACCURATELY REFLECT THE RECENT HISTORY OF RESETTLEMENT, IN
PARTICULAR THE REDUCING QUOTAS AND THE ABSENCE OF A UK QUOTA,
2. WE HAVE OTHER POINTS OF DETAIL OR EMPHASIS. THESE, TOGETHER
WITH THE POINTS MENTIONED IN PARA 1 ABOVE, ARE INCORPORATED IN THE
COMMENTS WHICH FOLLOW, FOR CONVENIENCE, THE PARAGRAPH NUMBERING IN
YOUR TELNO 279 OF 15 FEBRUARY IS USED.
3. PARA 2: THERE ARE 36,000 RATHER THAN 40,000 VIETNAMESE AMONG THE 160,000 AWAITING RESETTLEMENT. HONG KONG HAS ACCEPTED 14,!
,500 RATHER THAN 14,000, DISPLACED INDO-CHINESE, MOSTLY FROM VIETNAM, FOR PERMANENT SETTLEMENT, WHICH MUST REPRESENT THE LARGEST PER CAPITA RESETTLEMENT ANYWHERE. THERE ARE 8,800 REFUGEES,
RATHER THAN 8,000, IN MALAYSIA.
4. PARA 3: THE UK HAS, SO FAR, ACCEPTED AROUND 19,000 VIETNAMESE,
ALTHOUGH IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS IT HAS ACCEPTED LESS THAN 2,500
FROM HONG KONG (1,775 IN 1981, 241 IN 1982, 101 IN 1933 AND 26 IN
1934).
CONFIDENTIAL
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