CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TIO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 1437
OF 080036Z MAY 89
CONFIDENTIAL
MkCD 243/22
мко
044412
MDLIAN 8820
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
INFO PRIORITY LISBON, PEKING, HANOI, UKMIS GENEVA
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: MACAU
1. MANY OF THE VBP ARRIVING IN HONG KONG TRANSIT MACAU. SINCE 1982 THE MACAU AUTHORITIES HAVE NOT TAKEN IN BOAT PEOPLE PENDING RESETTLEMENT AND THEIR NORMAL PRACTICE IS TO GET RID OF THEM AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, IN MANY CASES REPLENISHING AND REPAIRING THEIR BOATS. OVER THE YEARS WE HAVE FREQUENTLY REMONSTRATED WITH THE MACAU AUTHORITIES ABOUT THIS BUT TO NO AVAIL.
2. IN VIEW OF THE RECENT MAJOR INCREASE IN ARRIVALS, I INSTRUCTED THE POLITICAL ADVISER TO CONTACT THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR OF MACAU ON 3 MAY REQUESTING THAT THEY DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO INHIBIT VBP FROM COMING TO HONG KONG: TO TAKE IN AS MANY AS POSSIBLE THEMSELVES: AND TO PASS ON THE MESSAGE ABOUT HONG KONG'S POLICY.
3. ON 6 MAY MR FELIPE, SECURITY ADVISER TO THE GOVERNOR OF MACAU, CALLED ON POLITICAL ADVISER AND REFUGEE CO-ORDINATOR TO DISCUSS THE QUESTION. CLIFT AND HANSON UNDERLINED THE GRAVITY OF OUR PROBLEM. THEY RECALLED GOVERNOR MELANCIA'S EXPRESSED WISH TO CO-OPERATE WITH HONG KONG OVER COMMON PROBLEMS AND ASKED THE MACAU AUTHORITIES:
(A) TO SHARE THE BURDEN OF VBP ARRIVALS BY TAKING IN AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE.
(B) TO KEEP ASSISTANCE TO ARRIVALS TO THE MINIMUM AND SPECIFICALLY NOT TO SEND PEOPLE ON TO HONG KONG.
(C) TO PUBLICISE HONG KONG'S POLICY TO ARRIVALS.
4. FELIPE TOOK NOTE AND UNDERTOOK TO REPORT TO GOVERNOR MELANCIA. HE STRESSED MACAU'S PROBLEMS OF SPACE AND RESOURCES AND MAINTAINED THAT ONLY MINIMUM ASSISTANCE WAS GIVEN ON HUMANITARIAN GROUNDS.
5. COMMENT. FELIPE'S ATTITUDE WAS SYMPATHETIC BUT NON-COMMITTAL. WE ASSESS THAT LITTLE WILL TRANSPIRE IN PRACTICE AS A RESULT OF THIS APPROACH, BEYOND PERHAPS MORE PUBLICITY FOR HONG KONG'S POLICY.
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