DOGAGR
CONFIDENTIAL
UNHRC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (EXCOM): GENEVA 6-13 OCTOBER
BRIEF NO 6(h)
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG
Points to Make with Members of "Honolulu Group" (ie
delegations of Australia, Canada, Japan and US
1.
Remain very concerned about the continuing outflow of
"boat people" from Vietnam.
Despite continuing
resettlement, new arrivals continue to swell numbers in the
Hong Kong camps. Hong Kong's arrival rate this year is nearly double the rate of last year (1812 January-August 1986 compared with 875 same period 1985). Of Hong Kong's
present camp
camp population of 8515 (1 September), 64% have been there for over 3 years.
2. Problem not one affecting Hong Kong only: HMG are also concerned at accelerating "compassion fatigue" and general
destabilising effect of unresettlable
unresettlable Indochinese in camps
in places of first asylum throughout Southeast Asia.
3.
Further problem is that some resettlement countries
are now refusing to regard many of those in Hong Kong as
"true refugees" but consider them rather as "economic
migrants", and thus will not include them in their
resettlement programmes. This creates severe difficulties for Hong Kong, which is faced with prospect of a large (and
possibly increasing) group of unresettlable refugees in its
camps.
4. Against this background we would welcome opportunity to consider jointly and informally with main resettlement
countries and UNHCR what might be done to resolve problem
of continuing outflow from Vietnam, in order to relieve
pressure on Hong Kong.
CONFIDENTIAL