CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 1964
OF 25170OZ JULY 88
CONFIDENTIAL
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
: HKD 24318
RF.
26JUL 1988
om i
104213
MDHOAN 1071
YOUR TELNO 2809: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE
1. WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR ANY COMMENTS YOU MAY HAVE ON THIS.
WE REPEAT BELOW THE DRAFT TEXT OF THE PROPOSED DEMARCHE BY THE
EC. THIS DRAWS ON THE PAPER WE PUT TO THE ASIA WORKING GROUP IN
JUNE, WHICH HAS BEEN COPIED TO YOU.
YOU WILL APPRECIATE, HOWEVER, THAT IT WILL BE DIFFICULT TO MAKE SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENTS AT THIS STAGE AS THE DRAFT HAS ALREADY
BEEN CIRCULATED TO EC PARTNERS. WE AIM TO FINALISE THE
TEXT IN THE COURSE OF THIS WEEK IN ORDER THAT THE DEMARCHE BE MADE, IF AT ALL POSSIBLE, BEFORE THE TALKS START ON 3 AUGUST.
TEXT BEGINS
2.
THE TWELVE WISH TO EXPRESS THEIR CONCERN AT ILLEGAL DEPARTURES BY BOAT FROM VIETNAM, THE GREATLY INCREASED NUMBERS OF WHICH HAVE PLACED GREAT BURDENS ON THE COUNTRIES AND TERRITORY
IN THE REGION WHICH HAVE RECEIVED THEM. THE PROBLEM
DAMAGES VIETNAM'S INTERNATIONAL IMAGE THE TWELVE URGE VIETNAM TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THOSE WHO HAVE LEFT AND
TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM THROUGH CLOSE COOPERATION WITH OTHERS.
THE VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE PROBLEM HAS BEEN A SOURCE OF INTERNATIONAL CONCERN FOR MANY YEARS. BUT IN RECENT MONTHS THIS
CONCERN HAS INTENSIFIED AS THE SITUATION BEGAN TO DETERIORATE RAPIDLY: SINCE THE BEGINNING OF 1987 THE NUMBERS OF BOAT PEOPLE ARRIVING IN THAILAND, MALAYSIA, AND HONG KONG, THE THREE PRINCIPAL DESTINATIONS, HAVE INCREASED DRAMATICALLY. THE CAMP POPULATIONS HAVE INCREASED FROM 6,30U TO OVER 13,000 IN THAILAND (TO MAY), FROM 9,000 TO 11,5OU IN MALAYSIA (TO MAY), AND FROM 8,000 TO OVER 19,000 IN HONG KONG (TO JUNE). AT THE SAME TIME, THE PROSPECTS FOR RESETTLEMENT IN THE WEST HAVE SUBSTANTIALLY DECLINED, ALONG WITH A WIDESPREAD AND WELL FOUNDED BELIEF THAT MOST OF THE RECENT ARRIVALS ARE NOT GENUINE REFUGEES.
·
FACED WITH THIS DETERIORATING SITUATION, ALLEGEDLY THE CONSEQUENCE OF A WAR WHICH IN FACT ENDED 13 YEARS AGO, THE COUNTRIES AND TERRITORY WHICH IN THE PAST HAVE OFFERED TEMPORARY HAVEN TO THE BOAT PEOPLE PENDING THEIR RESETTLEMENT HAVE BECOME INCREASINGLY FRUSTRATED. THEY TAKE THE VIEW THAT THEY SHOULD NOT BE EXPECTED TO ASSUME THE BURDEN OF SUPPORTING PEOPLE WHOSE FUTURE LIES NOT IN THE WEST BUT IN THEIR OWN COUNTRY - VIETNAM.
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