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HKO 243/8
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INDL
- 7 SEP 1988
OFFICER
Ons
...050172 MDHIAN 2550
RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 3303
OF 07120OZ SEPTEMBER 88
TOO
INFO IMMEDIATE HANOI, WASHINGTON, ALL EC POSTS, UKMIS GENEVA INFO IMMEDIATE OTTAWA, CANBERRA, TOKYO, KUALA LUMPUR, BANGKOK INFO IMMEDIATE HKGOS, WASHINGTON, NEW YORK, BRUSSELS, LONDON, GENEVA
INFO SAVING SAN FRANCISCO
748
YOUR TELNO 2256: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG
1. WE HAVE RECEIVED A GREAT MANY LETTERS AND TELEGRAMS FROM
INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS CONCERNED WITH THE RIGHTS OF REFUGEES ABOUT
THE ALLEGATIONS OF ILL TREATMENT AT THE HEI LING CHAU DETENTION
CENTRE. THE MAJORITY OF THESE SEEM TO HAVE BEEN INSPIRED BY AMNESTY
INTERNATIONAL. THE GENERAL THEME IS A DEMAND FOR AN INDEPENDENT
ENQUIRY INTO THE ALLEGATIONS.
2. WE WILL REPLY TO THOSE WHICH HAVE BEEN SENT DIRECT TO HONG KONG
BUT WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL IF ADDRESSEES COULD REPLY DIRECT TO LETTERS SENT TO THEM, DRAWING ON THE FOLLOWING MATERIAL:-
(A) 133181 VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE HAVE ARRIVED IN HONG KONG SINCE 1975. NONE HAVE EVER BEEN TURNED AWAY. IN 1987, THE NUMBER ARRIVING IN HONG KONG INCREASED BY 65 PERCENT, WHILE RESETTLEMENT FELL BY 42 PERCENT. IN THE FIRST FIVE MONTHS OF 1988, A FURTHER 5,150 BOAT PEOPLS ARRIVED, RAISING THE NUMBER IN THE TERRITORY TO 13,698. THIS HAS NOW RISEN TO OVER 25,000, AN ENORMOUS BURDEN FOR A TERRITORY WHICH CONTAINS SOME OF THE MOST DENSELY POPULATED URBAN AREAS IN THE WORLD.
(B) THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT INTRODUCED A NEW POLICY ON 16 JUNE
WHEREBY ALL BOAT PEOPLE WOULD BE SCREENED TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR
NOT THEY WERE GENUINE REFUGEES ACCORDING TO THE CRITERIA LAID DOWN
BY THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES. THOSE THAT ARE
SO CLASSIFIED WILL BE GIVEN ASYLUM IN HONG KONG WHILE THEY AWAIT
RESETTLEMENT OVERSEES. THE OTHERS WILL BE DETAINED UNTIL SUCH TIME
AS THEY CAN BE REPATRIATED TO VIETNAM UNDER CONDITIONS ACCEPTABLE
TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.
(C) ON 18 JULY DISTURBANCES BROKE OUT AT THE HEI LING CHAU
DETENTION CENTRE, WHICH HOUSES VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE (VBP) WHO
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