RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 474
OF 181118Z FEBRUARY 92
RESTRICTED
ADVANCE COPY
INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON
INFO PRIORITY HANOI
MIPT: VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS: VICE-PRESIDENT QUAYLE
HKA 020/14
124515
MDADAN 8886
1. TEXT OF THE LETTER WHICH 55 NON-OFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL HAVE SENT TO VICE-PRESIDENT QUAYLE IS AS
FOLLOWS:
WE ARE A GROUP OF LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLORS IN HONG KONG. WE
READ WITH CONCERN THE COMMENTS YOU WERE REPORTED TO HAVE MADE TO
THE PRESS IN GENEVA ON 10 FEBRUARY ABOUT OUR HANDLING OF THE
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE PROBLEM IN HONG KONG. YOUR COMMENTS ARE NOT IN LINE WITH THE UNITED STATES' POLICY ON VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE, AND IT ALSO SUGGESTS THAT YOUR ARE NOT FULLY AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS WE FACE. WE WOULD THEREFORE LIKE TO PROVIDE YOU WITH
MORE DETAILS.
THE FIRST POINT WE WOULD WISH TO MAKE IS THAT NO GOVERNMENT, INCLUDING THE UNITED STATES, HAS TAKEN THE POSITION THAT ALL VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE LEAVING VIETNAM ARE POLITICAL REFUGEES. YOUR GOVERNMENT, ALONG WITH 74 OTHERS, ENDORSED IN JUNE 1989 A UNHCR SPONSORED PROGRAMME, KNOWN AS THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF ACTION (CPA). UNDER THE CPA, ALL THOSE LEAVING VIETNAM CLANDESTINELY WOULD BE SCREENED ON THEIR ARRIVAL IN COUNTRIES OF FIRST ASYLUM TO DETERMINE WHETHER THEY WERE REFUGEES BY INTERNATIONAL CRITERIA. UNDER THE TERMS OF THE CPA, GENUINE REFUGEES ARE TO BE RESETTLED IN THIRD COUNTRIES AND MIGRANTS ARE TO BE RETURNED TO THEIR OWN COUNTRY. THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT HAS CONSISTENTLY REITERATED THEIR FIRM COMMITMENT TO ALL THE TERMS OF THE CPA. IT IS VITAL THAT THIS INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT CONTINUES
TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN FULL BY ALL PARTIES IF FIRST ASYLUM IS TO BE
MAINTAINED IN THE REGION.
IF YOUR REMARKS REPRESENT A CHANGE IN YOUR GOVERNMENT'S POSITION, AND THAT THE US GOVERNMENT NOW CONSIDERS ALL VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE TO BE POLITICAL REFUGEES, MAY WE BE INFORMED ABOUT
1
PAGE RESTRICTED
18