GRS 500
UNCLASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 3752
OF 12044OZ NOVEMBER 86
46
HKK 243/2
RECEIVED: REGISTRY
1 1 DEC 1986
FRICER
REGISTRY
PA
Action Taken
4/12
OUR THIRD IPT: SPEECH BY HON. HO KAM-FAI, OBE, JP
SIR, I WOULD LIKE TO REFER TO YOUR REMARKS ABOUT VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG.
IN MAY 1985, MY COLLEAGUES AND I SPOKE IN AN ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEE PROBLEM IN HONG KONG. WE URGED HER
MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT TO DEMONSTRATE ITS COMMITMENT TO, AND RESPONSIBILITY FOR, HONG KONG BY ACCEPTING A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER
OF REFUGEES FOR RESETTLEMENT. IN SEPTEMBER 1985 THE BRITISH
GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED ITS INTENTION IN A WHITE PAPER TO RELAX ITS
FAMILY REUNION CRITERIA IN RESPECT OF REFUGEES IN HONG KONG WITH
RELATIVES IN THE UNITED KINGDOM.
THIS DECISION ENABLED HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, THE UNITED
NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES AND HER MAJESTY'S
GOVERNMENT TO PRESS OTHER COUNTRIES FOR HELP. THE RESULT, AS YOU POINTED OUT, SIR, WAS ENCOURAGING AND SOME 4,200 REFUGEES WERE
RESETTLED OVERSEAS.
BUT THE BRITISH OFFTAKE STOPPED IN SEPTEMBER THIS YEAR AFTER 500 REFUGEES HAD LEFT HONG KONG FOR THE UNITED KINGDOM. IN THE ABSENCE OF A CONTINUED OFFTAKE BY HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT, OTHER RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES HAS BEEN RELUCTANT TO CONTINUE TO HELP HONG KONG, AND CUT DOWN THEIR RESETTLEMENT QUOTAS BY ALMOST HALF. SIR, BRITAIN'S NEGATIVE DECISION IS DAMPENING THE RESETTLEMENT PROSPECTS OF HONG KONG'S VIETNAMESE REFUGEES. YET TIME AND AGAIN WE HAVE BEEN REASSURED OF BRITAIN'S DETERMINATION TO CONTINUE TO HELP HONG KONG IN THE PERIOD UP TO 1997. WHAT MORE TANGIBLE EXPRESSION OF HELP COULD THERE BE THAN A DECISION TO CONTINUE TO ACCEPT FOR RESETTLEMENT A SPECIFIED NUMBER FOR ANOTHER YEAR?
SIR, HONG KONG'S GENEROUS COMMITMENT TO THE PROVISION OF FIRST ASYLUM FOR THOSE REFUGEES LEAVING VIETNAM IN SMALL BOATS CANNOT BE TAKEN FOR GRANTED. WE ARE HAPPY TO CONTINUE ONLY AS LONG AS THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY AGREES TO RESETTLE THOSE BOAT PEOPLE WHO ARRIVE HERE. THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY HAS MADE IT CLEAR THAT IT LOOKS TO BRITAIN TO SHOW THE WAY. WE IN HONG KONG ALSO LOOK TO HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT TO DEMONSTRATE CLEARLY THAT IT WILL CONTINUE TO HELP US. ITS MOST VALUED AND NEEDED ASSISTANCE IS AN OFFTAKE OF A FURTHER 500 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG. THIS
/ WILL