SECRET
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 06130OZ FCO
TELNO 2181
OF 06115OZ JUNE 88
SECRET
234
103022 MDHIAN 2105
TOP COPY
HKD 243
+3/8
OUR TELNO 2160: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: OPERATION WATCHMAN
1. I HAVE NOW HAD A CHANCE TO CONSIDER THE PROPOSED LINE TO TAKE IN TUR. REVISED VERSION OF SPEAKING NOTE TO USE WITH US, CANADA AUSTRALIA AND JAPAN FOLLOWS. YOU WILL WISH TO AMEND AS APPROPRIATE AND ADD DEFENSIVE POINTS ABOUT THE UK RESETTLEMENT PROGRAMME.
BEGINS
(A) SINCE 1975 HONG KONG HAS GIVEN TEMPORARY ASYLUM TO NEARLY 120,000 BOAT PEOPLE. NONE HAS EVER BEEN TURNED AWAY. 15,542 OF THESE ACTUALLY RESETTLED IN HONG KONG. CONTINUING PROGRAMME OF LOCAL
RESETTLEMENT.
(B)
INITIALLY RESETTLEMENT KEPT PACE WITH ARRIVALS (SEE BACKGROUND
NOTES FOR DETAILS). BUT AS ARRIVALS HAVE RISEN IN RECENT YEARS, RESETTLEMENT HAS CONTINUED TO FALL. (SEE BACKGROUND NOTES). LAST
YEAR'S ARRIVALS WERE UP BY 65 PER CENT ON THE YEAR BEFORE:
DEPARTURE DOWN BY 42 PER CENT.
(C) TOTAL POPULATION NOW OVER 15,000 (6 JUNE). THIS YEAR MORE THAN 6,000 ARRIVALS, AS COMPARED WITH 1,100 RESETTLEMENT DEPARTURES: 99 PER CENT OF ARRIVALS ETHNIC VIETNAMESE: 65-70 PER CENT FROM NORTH VIETNAM. MOSTLY FARMERS AND FISHERMEN SEEKING A
BETTER LIFE.
(D) HONG KONG A SMALL OVERCROWDED TERRITORITY. RESOURCES NOW
STRETCHED TO THE LIMIT. LOCAL PRESSURE FOR CHANGE IS MOUNTING
AND CANNOT BE IGNORED. A SIGNIFICANT FACTOR AFFECTING LOCAL ATTITUDES IS CONTINUING PRESSURE OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION FROM
CHINA. THESE PEOPLE, MANY WITH CLOSE CONNECTIONS IN HONG KONG, ARE ALL REPATRIATED: RECENTLY AT A RATE OF ABOUT 100 PER DAY. RESENTMENT THAT THOSE ARRIVING FROM VIETNAM, WITH NO HONG KONG CONNECTIONS ARE TREATED DIFFERENTLY ALSO LOCAL CONCERN ABOUT HONG KONG, UNLIKE OTHER PLACES OF FIRST ASYLUM, IS PAYING MOST OF COSTS OF HOUSING VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.
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(E) WITH THE SHARP DROP IN RESETTLEMENT PROSPECTS AND
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