TNAG-0586-FCO40-719-Aid-from-UK-for-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1976 — Page 128

CONFIDENTIAL

Flag

Philippines recently, which suggests that a further exodus from Vietnam is now in train.) But far more important is the consideration

that to admit refugees from Vietnam is inconsistent with our attitude towards illegal immigrants from China who have much greater

claims to consideration but who have been turned back since

November 1974 because of the strain on Hong Kong's essential services. (My submission of 7 July.) Last year, when we admitted 4,000 Vietnamese refugees, mainly off the "Clara Maersk" referred to in Hong Kong telegram no. 702, we could, and did, draw the distinction between these refugees from a war and the Chinese illegal

immigrants and this was sufficient to meet charges of inconsistency. No such distinction is possible this time and, following the landing

of 19 Vietnamese refugees from a British tanker recently, there have again been criticisms in the Hong Kong press of discrimination

policy on polillegal against immigrants from the mainland. The success of the illegal immigration policy, and indeed the reduction on the numbers of legal immigrants from China, depends absolutely on the goodwill of the Hong Kong Chinese population. So far, they appear to have recognised the necessity of the policy; but it would be difficult to maintain their acceptance in the face of an influx of Vietnamese.

5. It may be argued that the UNHCR offer relates only to these 99 refugees and the problem will be of a temporary nature only. However, as explained above, it would be difficult to refuse further entries if the principle were breached this time. There is no guar- antee that the UNHCR could find permanent homes for these 99.

After the "Clara Maersk" incident, homes were found for many of the refugees, mainly in the United States but some had simply to be allowed to settle in Hong Kong; and the chances of finding permanent homes on a regular basis (as opposed to the crisis conditions last year following the collapse of South Vietnam) are, we would judge, problematical. Moreover, the UNHCR has in the past shown some disposition to question the return of illegal immigrants from the mainland; and Taiwan has frequently claimed that illegal immigrants would be welcome there. This is a propaganda point and patently false Taiwan even refused to accept 6 KMT generals released by China who entered Hong Kong legally last year it has been a particularly awkward one to refute. We can certainly

2

CONFIDENTIAL

but.