CONFIDENTIAL
FM WASHINGTON
TO DESKBY 09090OZ FCO
TELNO 1275
OF 090415Z MAY 89
CONFIDENTIAL
нко
HKD 243/22
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, UKMIS GENEVA, PEKING, HANOI INFO ROUTINE TOKYO, CANBERRA, OTTAWA, ASEAN POSTS
40
047410
MDHIAN 3759
TOP COPY Q DIS: 7
YOUR TELNO 860: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG
SUMMARY
1.
THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS ISSUE, AND THE NEED FOR MORE EFFECTIVE MEASURES, FIRMLY REGISTERED WITH KIMMITT AND OTHERS CONCERNED
IN STATE.
DETAIL
2.
I SPOKE BY TELEPHONE ON 8 MAY TO KIMMITT (UNDER SECRETARY FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS AT STATE) TO UNDERLINE THE POLITICAL IMPORTANCE WE ATTACHED TO FURTHER MEASURES TO TACKLE THE MASSIVE INFLUX OF BOAT PEOPLE INTO HONG KONG. I WENT OVER THE LATEST ARRIVAL FIGURES AND EMPHASISED THAT HONG KONG SIMPLY COULD NOT COPE IF THIS TREND CONTINUED. I MADE CLEAR THAT MINISTERS WERE LOOKING URGENTLY AT HOW TO DEAL WITH THIS PROBLEM. WE WERE PRESSING THE VIETNAMESE TO REDUCE THE OUTFLOW AND THE CHINESE TO PUT A STOP TO COAST-HOPPING. WE HAD FURTHER IDEAS ON WHAT COULD BE DONE IN THE RUN-UP TO THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE. IN THAT CONNECTION I REFERRED TO THE VISIT BY MCLAREN HERE NEXT WEEK AND SAID THAT, GIVEN THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SUBJECT, IT WOULD BE VERY USEFUL IF MCLAREN COULD CALL ON KIMMITT.
3
THAT
KIMMITT REPLIED THAT HE HAD NOT REALISED THAT THE SURGE OF BOAT PEOPLE INTO HONG KONG WAS AS LARGE AS LATEST FIGURES SHOWED. HE WAS CERTAINLY WILLING IN PRINCIPLE TO SEE MCLAREN SUBJECT TO HIS OTHER COMMITMENTS. WE WILL BE PURSUING THIS SEPARATELY. 4. WE HAVE ALSO GIVEN A FULL BRIEFING AT DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY LEVEL TO THE EAST ASIA (WILLIAMS) AND REFUGEE PROGRAMMES (FUNSETH) BUREAUX. THE EAST ASIA BUREAU SAID THEY WERE CONDUCTING THEIR OWN INTERNAL REVIEW OF POLICY ON THE BOAT PEOPLE ISSUE. THIS RECOGNISED THE NEED FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION OF A REGIONAL HOLDING CENTRE, ALTHOUGH THEY BELIEVED THAT THE PRACTICAL DIFFICULTIES (FUNDING, PERSUADING ANY COUNTRY TO HOST THE CENTRE ETC) WOULD BE SERIOUS. FUNSETH TOOK THE FAMILIAR LINE THAT IT WAS STILL TOO EARLY TO MOVE ON TO CONSIDERATION OF HOLDING CENTRES OR INVOLUNTARY REPATRIATION: THE REGION-WIDE SCHEME INVOLVING VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION HAD NOT EVEN BEEN IMPLEMENTED YET. WE EMPHASISED AGAIN THE CRISIS FACING HONG KONG.
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