TNAG-0794-FCO40-998-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1978 — Page 145

CONFIDENTIAL

BUT RESETTLEMENT PLACES ARE ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL. THE 12,000 REFUGEES AND DISPLACED PERSONS FROM INDO-CHINA ALREADY ABSORBED

INTO HONG KONG ARE EQUIVALENT TO 0.26 % OF THE POPULATION,

7. AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT IN HONG KONG'S RESPONSE TO THE PROBLEM

OF BOAT REFUGEES HAS BEEN MAINTENANCE OF THE PRINCIPLE THAT BOAT

REFUGEES BE LANDED AND PROCESSED AT THE FIRST SCHEDULED PORT OF

CALL, WITHOUT PRIOR GUARANTEES (NOTE E). IN CERTAIN CASES ON

CAN SYMPATHISE WITH THE REASONS WHICH HAVE CAUSED THIS PRINCIPLE

TO BE LESS THAN FULLY OBSERVED IN SOME PLACES. IT IS, NEVERTHELES AN ESSENTIAL FIRST PRINCIPLE IF SOLUTIONS ARE TO BE SOUGHT WITH

THE MINIMUM POSSIBLE LOSS OF LIFE. HOWEVER IF PLACES LIKE HONG KONG ARE TO CONTINUE TO OBSERVE THE PRINCIPLE, IT IS EQUALLY ESSENTIAL THAT THERE SHOULD VERY SOON BE A DRAMATIC AND SUSTAINED

INCREASE IN RESETTLEMENT PLACES AVAILABLE AND IN THE SPEED OF ONWARD MOVEMENT. THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO ESTABLISH A HUMANE INTERNATIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR TACKLING THIS TRAGIC PROBLEM.

FCO PSE PASS SAVVINGS HANOI AND PEKING

MACLEHOSE

[REPEATED AS REQUESTED]

PS/LORD GORONVY ROBERTS F'S/HR.LUARD

PS/EUS

FILES

UND

PS

SEAD

NAD

HKGD

EID

PED

MVD

OID

*

MR.PIGG

NEWS D

MR.COMPAZZI

MK.WEIR

MR.FIRRAT

MR.STRATION

CONFIDENTIAL

COPIES TO:

MR.BIRT, HOME OFFICE. MR.D.SHINI, ODM

HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE.

: