A
ARPAIG
29 APR 1988
29 APR 1988
CONFIDENTIAL
11 12 1
110
,2
12
8
FROM:
CO Hum
G
5
9
3
Hong Kong Department
8
$2
DATE:
27 April 1988
CC:
Mr McLaren
PS/Lord Glenarthur
Private Secretary
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG
PS/Mr Eggar
Mr Gillmore
Mr Adams, SEAD
Mr Williams, UND
Mr Fifoot, Legal Advisers
HED 243/8
ния
988
Problem
To bring to Ministers' attention the deterioration of the
problem of Vietnamese boat people in Hong Kong; and to seek their
preliminary views on a possible new policy to deal with the crisis.
1.
Recommendation
2. The Hong Kong Government believe that the continuation of the present policy has become untenable and have set out their views on the way forward. I recommend that we now explore with Hong Kong the elements of a new policy which would involve the screening of new
arrivals to establish whether they meet the recognised criteria to
be treated as refugees. It would be made clear that Ministers would
wish to be consulted formally once the possible new approach had
been elaborated in greater detail. I submit a draft telegram on
these lines.
3. SEAD, UND and the Legal Advisers concur.
Background
4. The serious deterioration in the situation is graphically
described in paras 1-8 of Hong Kong telno 1539. In essence, the main features of the present crisis are:
CONFIDENTIAL