b.c.c.
The Hong D G Jeaffreson CBE Secretary for Security Government Secretariat Hong Kong
HKD (223
From The Minister of State
Richard Luce MP
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London SW1A 2AH
MKK 243/5
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
12 JUN 1985
DESK OFFICEH
INDEX
11, 7
EGISTRY
PA
lion Taken
✓
204
6 June 1985
ра 243/5.
Ms Wheben.
انے
Thank you for your recent letter about Vietnamese refugees.
I have read your views with interest and of course share your concern about the plight of the refugees: as I said when I gave evidence before the Sub-Committee on Race Relations and Immigration (SCORRI) on 4 February, and as I repeated during the two recent Adjournment Debates about Indo-Chinese refugees in the House of Commons, neither Her Majesty's Government nor the Hong Kong Government find it satisfactory or desirable that refugees should have to remain in camps, either open or closed. Our objective must be to find durable solutions for them all as soon as possible. You are right in pointing out that it is becoming progressively more difficult to find resettlement places for the refugees. I must say however that we do not consider repatriation to be a feasible solution in the absence of co- operation from the Vietnamese authorities, including credible assurances that those returning would not be treated inhumanely. There is no sign of this being forthcoming at present.
We are of course looking very carefully at the recommendations which SCORRI have made in their report, and will be replying to Parliament as soon
soon as possible.
Liv
Mrs Elsie Elliott CBE
Urban Councillor
55 Kung Lok Road Kwun Long, Kowloon HONG KONG