DJ G Barton Esq
HKD
FCO
bkk 243./9
RECEIVE
- 4 DEC 1986
RESTRICTED
IM
BRITISH EMBASSY
THE HAGUE
27 NOVEMBER 1986
221
fiv:
Dear David,
TRY
* Taken
утение
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG:
1.
г
मा
Mick 243\}
6
3/1
RESETTLEMENT IN THE NETHERLANDS
First your letter of 14 October. The Dutch decision to double their total intake of refugees to be resettled here next year has now passed through all the bureaucratic stages and is already being implemented. Missions carrying out selection of refugees have begun visiting different parts of the world. As you know, this week- end a Mission consisting of representatives from the MFA (Harry Zwan), Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Welfare arrives in Hong Kong to select 40 refugees for resettlement here (Hong Kong tel 3913 of 21 November). The same Mission will go on to Malaysia.
2. We were pleased to note that Hong Kong has agreed to continue its policy of granting local settlement. This has clearly had a positive effect on the Dutch and we hope it will have the same impact on UNHCR. I shall be very pleased to thank Michel Den Hond for the generous attitude the Dutch have taken towards resolving Hong Kong's refugee problem (see tel 364). He is a good contact of ours and has recently taken over from Lapre as Head of the Bureau for Refugee Affairs in the MFA.
Yours ever,
Mike.
M M Hall
CC:
J Wilson Esq
Hong Kong Government Office
Brussels
KJ Woodhouse Esq
Government Secretariat
Hong Kong.
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Ник 243/9. RECEIVED REGISTRY
13 DEC 1986
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CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PARIS
TO ROUTINE FCO
TELNO 1267
OF 271719Z NOVEMBER 86
INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG, BRUSSELS
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the letter
rejures to in parn 2. Mave you
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YOUR TELNO 7731
INVITATION TO BARPAN! TO VISIT HONG KONG
1. MINISTER CONVEYED THIS INVITATION TO BARIANI'S OFFICE TODAY (27 NOVEMBER). HIS DIRECTOR DU CABINET (MICHEL) TELEPHONED BACK AFTER DISCUSSION WITH BARDAN. THE LATTER WAS VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE INVITATION, COULD NOT UNFORTUNATELY FIT IT INTO HIS TIMETABLE FOR THE VISIT TO THAILAND AND SINGAPORE NEXT MONTH, BUT WOULD BE IN TOUCH WITH US AGAIN NEXT YEAR TO TAKE UP OUR OFFER IF PLANS FOR A FURTHER VISHT TO THE REGION TOOK SHAPE. (THE MALAYSIAN EMBASSY HERE EXPECT SUCH A VISIT IN THE SPRING.) BARAN'S OFFICE HAVE NOTED THE NEED TO AVOID THE PERIOD OF CHINESE NEW YEAR.
2. ALTHOUGH OUR PRIMARY INTERESTS IN SUCH A VISIT ARE REFUGEES AND VISAS, WE WOULD NEED TO SWEETEN THE PILL BY OFFERING BARIANI A MORE GENERAL PROGRAMME THAN IS PROPOSED IN HONG KONG TELNO 3914. LETTER
FOLLOWS.
FRETWELL
Zel 12
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PCLNAN 6397
MINIMAL
HKD
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WED.
CONFIDENTIAL
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Extract: Legles speech: Secretary for Security 26.11.76
-6-
comprehensive staff training programme.
This possibility
has in fact been under consideration for more than five
years. The main difficulty is to find a suitable site.
The latest position is that we are considering the
possibility of developing the Erskine Camp in Saikung
into a residential training school. We shall know in the
latter part of 1987 whether we can proceed with an
Immigration Training school there. Meanwhile we shall
continue to press for these much needed training facilities.
(क):
Vietnamese Refugees
11.
I would now like to turn to the problem of
Vietnamese refugees which was raised by my honourable
colleagues, Mr. Peter C. Wong, Dr. Ho Kam-fai, Mr. Jackie Chan
and Mrs. Rita Fan.
12.
I am most grateful for the continuing interest
shown by Members of this Council in helping to find solutions
to the intractable problem of Vietnamese refugees in Hong
Kong. I can assure Honourable Members that the Administration
is equally concerned about this issue and its effect on Hong
Kong. We are well aware of the contradiction between our
policy on Vietnamese refugees and our very necessary policy (given our acute population pressures) towards illegal immigrants from China. But, as Mr. Wong pointed out, the
principles that govern our society are humanitarian, and until
such times as we can be satisfied about the treatment of any
who are sent back to Vietnam, we must continue to grant them
asylum here.
13.
But while we as a place of first asylum in
accordance with the international convention continue to
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13 DEC 1986
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