CONFIDENTIAL
043365
MDHOAN 0598
CONSENSUS ON REPATRIATION IS PROVING MUCH MORE DIFFICULT.
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE, THE MAJORITY OF WHOM APPEAR TO BE ECONOMIC MIGRANTS RATHER THAN REFUGEES, ARE CONTINUING TO ARRIVE IN LARGE NUMBERS THROUGHOUT THE REGION. PLACES OF FIRST ASYLUM
THEREFORE FACE THE PROSPECT OF ACCOMMODATING INCREASING NUMBERS
OF NON-REFUGEES INDEFINITELY UNLESS COMPREHENSIVE ARRANGEMENT CAN
BE MADE FOR THE RETURN TO VIETNAM OF ALL THOSE WHO ARE EVENTUALLY
SCREENED OUT.
MANY
4. THE PROBLEM IS PARTICULARLY ACUTE IN HONG KONG WHERE OVER 15,000 VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE HAVE ARRIVED SINCE THE INTRODUCTION OF SCREENING ON 16 JUNE 1988. OF THESE OVER 5,000 ARRIVED THIS YEAR, AT DOUBLE THE RATE OF THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD IN 1988. IN HONG KONG SEE THE PROMPT INTRODUCTTION OF A POLICY OF MANDATORY REPATRIATION AS THE ONLY WAY TO CONTAIN THE PROBLEM. BUT SOME IN THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, PARTICULARLY THE US, FRANCE AND UNHCR, ARE RELUCTANT TO TAKE SUCH A STEP. MOREOVER, THE VIETNAMESE HAVE SO FAR RESISTED MAKING A FIRM COMMITMENT TO ACCEPT BACK ALL NON-
REFUGEES.
5. THERE IS NOW AN URGENT NEED TO BRIEF HOST GOVERNMENTS ON
DEVELOPMENTS IN HONG KONG. YOU AND COPY ADDRESSES SHOULD TAKE THE
EARLIEST OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO, AT AS HIGH A LEVEL AS POSSIBLE. THIS WILL PAVE THE WAY FOR A FURTHER ROUND OF LOBBYING HOST GOVERN-
MENTS IN ADVANCE OF THE ICIR.
6. YOU SHOULD DRAW ON THE FOLLOWING POINTS IN BRIEFING MFA'S: (A) HONG KONG IS FACING A MAJOR CRISIS. OVER 5,000 VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE HAVE ARRIVED SOR FAR THIS YEAR (DOUBLE THE RATE IN THE EQUIVALENT PERIOD IN 1988) AND MORE THAT 1,700 IN THE LAST WEEK. THERE ARE NOW WELL OVER 30,000 BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG. HONG KONG IS A SMALL AND OVERCROWDED TERRITORY AND SIMPLY CANNOT COPE
INDEFINITELY WITH SUCH ACUTE PRESSURES.
(B)
WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO ALL WE CAN TO PRESS THE VIETNAMESE TO TAKE EFFECTIVE ACTION TO STOP THE OUTFLOW AND TO LIVE UP TO THEIR INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATIONS TOWARDS THEIR OWN CITIZENS. THEY HAVE TAKEN SOME MEASURES TO STEM DEPARTURES, BUT MUCH MORE IS NEEDED. WE HOPE THAT OTHER GOVERNMENTS WILL ASK THEM TO DO SO URGENTLY.
(C) THE POLICY OF FIRST ASYLUM FOR VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE HAS ALWAYS BEEN UNPOPULAR IN THE REGION. THE RECENT SURGE IN ARRIVALS IN HONG KONG IS STRAINING THE COMMUNITY'S PATIENCE TO THE LIMIT. THERE ARE INCREASING CALLS IN HONG KONG FOR ABANDONMENT OF THE FIRST ASYLUM POLICY, AND FOR THE PROMPT
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