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REMAINS UNDER ACTIVE CONSIDERATION BETWEEN OURSELVES AND THE HOME
OFFICE. YOU MAY CERTAINLY ASSURE THE LEGCO MEMBERS OF
THIS.
3. AT THE SAME TIME WE ARE ALSO CONTINUING TO PURSUE OTHER
OPTIONS FOR A DURABLE SOLUTION. BUT, AS YOU KNOW, MINISTERS HAVE
NOT/NOT DECIDED, AS CHUGANI'S ARTICLE IMPLIES, TO ASK OTHER
COUNTRIES TO QUOTE PUT INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE ON VIETNAM TO TAKE
BACK REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG AND TO STOP OTHERS FROM COMING TO
THE TERRITORY UNQUOTE. WE BELIEVE MINISTERS WILL CONTINUE TO SEE
DIFFICULTIES FOR THE UK IN ANY BILATERAL APPROACH TO VIETNAM OF
THIS KIND. HENCE OUR EFFORTS TO WORK TOWARDS A MULTILATERAL
APPROACH, WHILE RECOGNISING THAT THE PROSPECTS FOR THIS ARE NOT
GOOD, GIVEN OUR AND OTHERS' LONG-STANDING CONDEMNATION OF
VIETNAM'S HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD AND HER INTERVENTION IN CAMBODIA.
OUR CONTACTS WITH OTHER COUNTRIES HAVE, AS YOU KNOW, CONCENTRATED
ON OUR DESIRE TO BECOME INVOLVED IN COLLECTIVE CONSIDERATION OF
POSSIBLE DURABLE SOLUTIONS, GIVEN THE FAILURE OF PRESENT POLICIES
- IE RESETTLEMENT IN THE WEST TO SOLVE THE REFUGEE PROBLEM IN
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SE ASIA. YOU MAY CERTAINLY TELL THE LEGCO GROUP THAT IN OUR
STUDY WITH THE HOME OFFICE OF OPTIONS FOR A DURABLE SOLUTION TO
THE REGIONAL REFUGEE PROBLEM NOTHING IS BEING RULED OUT. BUT IT
WOULD RISK AROUSING UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS IF YOU PLACED TOO
MUCH WEIGHT ON INVOLUNTARY REPATRIATION AS A SHORT-TERM SOLUTION.
4. STRICTLY FOR YOUR OWN INFORMATION, OUR EXCHANGES WITH THE
HOME OFFICE SINCE MR WADDINGTON'S VISIT TO HONG KONG HAVE
FOCUSSED ON WHETHER HMG CAN CONTINUE TO RESETTLE REFUGEES FROM
HONG KONG WITHOUT THERE FIRST BEING CLEAR INDICATIONS THAT THE
PROBLEM IS FINITE AND THAT A BETTER AND MORE DURABLE SOLUTION IS
ATTAINABLE. THE HOME SECRETARY HAS SUGGESTED THAT MR WADDINGTON
AND MR RENTON MEET TO DISCUSS FURTHER ON THIS BASIS. IN HIS
REPLY (WHICH SIR E YOUDE SAW IN DRAFT DURING HIS LAST VISIT HERE)
THE SECRETARY OF STATE REASSURED THE HOME SECRETARY THAT WE WILL
PURSUE ALL OTHER FEASIBLE SOLUTIONS IN CLOSE DIALOGUE WITH UNHCR
AND WESTERN GOVERNMENTS, BUT ALSO PRESSED THE CASE FOR A FURTHER
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