¿
SECRET
TO DESKBY 03090OZ FCO
FM HONG KONG
TELNO 3264
OF 03083OZ OCTOBER 89
283
SECRET
014746
MDHIAN 8133
HKB
243 1
q
PERSONAL FOR PAUL HKD FROM GOVERNOR
(279)
YOUR TELNO 1983 AND FAX OF 2 OCTOBER: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: SPEAKING NOTE FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE
I HAVE THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS:
(I) SECTION 1 INDENT 2. ADD A REFERENCE TO LEGCO RESUMING ON 11 OCTOBER. POLITICAL PRESSURE WILL MOUNT IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER FOR AN ENDING OF THE FIRST ASYLUM POLICY. WE ALREADY HAVE A SERIES OF MOVES OF THIS SORT FROM VARIOUS POLITICAL BODIES.
(II) SECTION 2. NOT ALL PRESS COMMENT HAS BEEN HOSTILE. THERE HAS BEEN A GROWING REALISATION IN SECTIONS OF THE UK PRESS THAT MANDATORY REPATRIATION IS THE ONLY ANSWER. MOST IMPORTANTLY, VOLUNTARY AGENCIES SUCH AS SAVE THE CHILDREN FUND, OXFAM AND THE BRITISH REFUGEE COUNCIL, HAVE ALL SUPPORTED MANDATORY REPATRIATION. SO HAVE A CONSID- ERABLE NUMBER OF MPS, INCLUDING, THE FAC.
(III) SECTION 3, SECOND INDENT. WORTH ADDING A REFERENCE TO UNITED STATES RETURNING WOULD-BE REFUGEE TO HAITI AFTER ONLY CURSORY SCREENING.
(IV) SECTION 3, LAST INDENT. RETURNING PEOPLE (NEXT WORD UNDERLINED) WILL BE LESS COSTLY THAN CONTINUING TO HOUSE THEM IN HONG KONG.
(V) AN ADDITIONAL POINT. ADD A REFERENCE TO THE FACT THAT MANDATORY REPATRIATION AMOUNTS TO IMPLEMENTING THE CPA IN FULL. NOT ONLY IS THIS SO BUT, WITHOUT IT, THE WHOLE PACKAGE INCLUDING FIRST ASYLUM, WILL BE IN JEOPARDY.
3. MINOR POINTS:
(I) WORTH NOTING THAT TOTAL DEPARTURES FROM HONG KONG THIS YEAR, INCLUDING VOLUNTARY RETURNS AND RESETTLEMENT, ARE ONLY 4000 AS AGAINST 33000 ARRIVALS.