HKD 243/8
CONFIDENTIAL
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134726 MDHIAN 3368
CONFIDENTIAL
FM WASHINGTON
((CORRECTED VERSION))
TO DESKBY 14180OZ FCO
TELNO 1498
OF 141715Z JUNE 88
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, OTTAWA, CANBERRA, TOKYO, UKMIS GENEVA
OUR TELNO 1465:
1.
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: CHANGE OF POLICY
FUNSETH SENIOR DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY IN THE BUREAU OF REFUGEE PROGRAMMES AT STATE, TELEPHONED THIS MORNING TO EXPRESS CONCERN ABOUT A CABLE HE HAD RECEIVED FROM THE US CONSUL GENERAL
IN HONG KONG CONTAINING DETAILS OF NOTICES WHICH THE AMERICANS
UNDERSTOOD WOULD BE GIVEN TO NEW REFUGEE ARRIVALS IN HONG KONG
AND INCLUDED IN MAIL SENT FROM THE REFUGEE CAMPS TO VIETNAM.
THE TEXTS OF THE NOTICES (AS GIVEN TO US) WERE AS FOLLOWS:
BEGINS:
''NOTICE TO BE GIVEN TO NEW ARRIVALS.
WARNING NOTICE. THERE IS A NEW POLICY IN FORCE IN HONG KONG.
FORMER RESIDENTS OF VIETNAM SEEKING TO ENTER HONG KONG ARE NOW
TREATED ON ARRIVAL AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. YOU ARE FREE TO LEAVE
HONG KONG, IF YOU CHOOSE TO CONTINUE YOUR JOURNEY YOU WILL BE GIVEN FOOD AND WATER AND, IF NECESSARY, YOUR BOAT WILL BE REPAIRED. IF YOU DO NOT LEAVE HONG KONG, YOU WILL BE DETAINED AS AN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT PENDING REPATRIATION TO VIETNAM.
MESSAGE FOR INCLUSION IN MAIL TO VIETNAM
THERE IS A NEW POLICY IN FORCE IN HONG KONG. FORMER RESIDENTS
OF VIETNAM SEEKING TO ENTER HONG KONG ARE NOW TREATED AS
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ON
TO VIETNAM. THEY WILL
ARRIVAL AND DETAINED PENDING REPATRIATION
HAVE NO ACCESS TO RESETTLEMENT IN THIRD
COUNTRIES. RESIDENTS OF VIETNAM ARE STRONGLY ADVISED NOT TO LEAVE
VIETNAM ILLEGALLY TO COME TO HONG KONG WHERE THERE IS NO
FUTURE FOR THEM.
ENDS
2.
11
FUNSETH SAID THE ABSENCE IN THE TWO TEXTS OF ANY REFERENCE
TO A SCREENING PROCESS WAS WORRYING. THE TEXTS AS THEY STOOD
-AND PARTICULARLY THE SPECIFIC REFERENCE TO QUOTE NO ACCESS TO
RESETTLEMENT IN THIRD COUNTRIES UNQUOTE -WERE TANTAMOUNT TO
ANNOUNCING A ''PUSH OFF'T POLICY IN HONG KONG.
FOLLOWING OUR CALL ON STATE LAST WEEK TO INFORM THEM OF THE
INTRODUCTION OF THE NEW POLICY STATE HAD BEEN WORKING ON A SUPPORT, WHICH WAS ALMOST READY FOR RELEASE.
THEY HAD ALSO SPOKEN TO VOICE OF AMERICA AS WE HAD REQUESTED, AND
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