HKK 243/2
RÉCEE!
12 DEC 1986
GRS 375
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
HY
ING
** taken
Amek
حياة
Confidential
TO DESKBY 24093OZ FCO
TELNO 3940
OF 2408OOZ NOVEMBER 86
61
MY TELNO 1874: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES: HMG'S ROLE.
1.
TOP COPY DIST ?
Q
TUR GAVE WARNING THAT THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEE PROBLEM MIGHT DEVELOP INTO A AREA OF SENSITIVITY IN UK ·HONG KONG RELATIONS, THERE ARE NOW CLEAR SIGNS THAT THIS MAY BECOME ONCE AGAIN AN AREA
OF DISPUTE BETWEEN HONG KONG AND HMG, WITH ECHOES OF THE NATION-
ALITY ROW.
2.
MEMBERS OF OMELCO ARE BECOMING INCREASINGLY CONCERNED ABOUT
THE SITUATION IN GENERAL AND ABOUT HMG'S ROLE IN PARTICULAR (OUR
TELNO 3749 - 3753). THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY WAS SUMMONED TO
AN AD HOC MEETING OF OMELCO ON FRIDAY 21 NOVEMBER TO DISCUSS THIS
MATTER. CRITICAL COMPARISONS WERE DRAWN BETWEEN THE HONG KONG
GOVERNMENT'S CURRENT POLICY OF RETURNING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, INCLUDING CHILDREN, TO CHINA AND OUR ACCEPTING, AS A PLACE OF FIRST ASYLUM, ALL (ALL) THOSE ARRIVING FROM VIETNAM WHEN THE RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES WERE SELECTIVE ABOUT WHO THEY WOULD TAKE
IN TERMS OF BOTH NUMBERS AND QUALIFICATIONS. MEMBERS WERE NOT (NOT) HAPPY WITH THE LENGTH OF TIME IT WAS TAKING HMG TO COME TO A DECISION ON THE IMPORTANT QUESTION OF HOW MANY MORE THE UK
WOULD BE PREPARED TO TAKE. THEY ALSO WANTED TO SEE SIGNIFICANT
PROGRESS ON INVOLUNTARY REPATRIATION.
3.
THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY WAS ASKED:
(A) TO PASS ON OMELCO'S SERIOUS CONCERN ABOUT THE PROBLEM OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES,
(B) TO INFORM HMG THAT IF IT WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE TANGIBLE HELP TO HONG KONG ON THIS MATTER, THEN OMELCO WILL HAVE TO CONSIDER ASKING THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT TO CEASE GRANTING ASYLUM TO THOSE
ARRIVING FROM VIETNAM, AND
Confidential
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