CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
MKD 243/9
RECE
19 JAN 1990
(19
177356
MDHIAN 8966
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 1813OOZ FCO
୮
TELNO 200
NUL
OF 18113OZ JANUARY 89
Low i
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
14
OUR TELNO 186: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE
·
1 FURTHER REMARKS BY LI HOU ON HONG KONG'S VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE PROBLEM WERE ACCORDED WIDE MEDIA COVERAGE TODAY (18 JANUARY).
2. LI HOU WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT HE HAD GRAVE RESERVATIONS ABOUT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT'S LIBERALISATION PLAN. HE SAID THAT THE ISSUE WAS WHETHER THOSE REFUGEES WHO WERE ALLOWED TO GO OUT OF THE CAMPS WOULD BECOME HONG KONG RESIDENTS IN FUTURE, ADDING THAT QUOTE WE WON'T RECOGNISE THEIR RESIDENCY STATUS. THEIR STATUS
CANNOT BE RECOGNISED AFTER 1997 UNQUOTE. HE WENT ON TO SAY THAT THE OPEN CAMP POLICY HAD ALSO INDIRECTLY ENCOURAGED MANY VIETNAMESE
REFUGEES WHO HAD SETTLED IN THE MAINLAND TO COME TO HONG KONG IN
THE FALSE HOPE THAT THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO LEAD A NEW LIFE HERE.
3. LI ALSO REFERRED TO THE DISPARITY BETWEEN THE TREATMENT ACCORDED
BY THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES TO CHINESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AND
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE AND, IN PARTICULAR, THE HANDCUFFINF OF THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS DURING REPATRIATION. HE WENT ON TO SAY QUOTE AS A CHINESE, I FEEL OUR DIGNITY HAS BEEN GRAVELY HURT. SOME LOCAL PEOPLE HAVE REACTED STRONGLY OVER THE UNFAIR TREATMENT. THEY HAVE ALSO RAISED THIS ISSUE WITH US UNQUOTE. HE DECLINED TO COMMENT ON THE
HEAVY PUNISHMENT IMPOSED ON SOME ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM CHINA AND SAID THAT HE WOULD LEAVE THE ISSUE TO THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.
4. IN RESPONSE TO A QUESTION AS TO WHETHER THE DISCONTENT OF SOME OF THE LOCAL RESIDENTS MIGHT GIVE RISE TO RACIAL DISPUTES, HE REPLIED THAT QUOTE YES, IT IS A PROBLEM UNQUOTE.
5. LI ALSO COMMENTED ON THE UK CONTRIBUTION TO UNHCR PROGRAMMES IN HONG KONG ANNOUNCED DURING LORD GLENARTHUR'S VISIT, SAYING THAT THE FUNDING SCHEME MIGHT ENCOURAGE MORE VIETNAMESE TO TAKE THE RISK
TO COME TO THE TERRITORY.
6. ZHOU NAN WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT SINCE BRITAIN WAS ADMINISTERING
HONG KONG UP TO 1997 THE VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE PROBLEM WAS THE
1
PAGE
CONFIDENTIAL