TNAG-0881-FCO40-1091-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 111

INILAHJAH

3. There is evidence that the Vietnamese Government have organized

and profited by the recent exodus of boat refugees (which is clearly

part of a deliberate policy to rid the country of its Chinese

minority).

The Secretary of State summoned the Vietnamese Ambassador

on 23 January to express the Government's concern.

4.

The Vietnamese Government have said they will cooperate with

the UNHCR in taking measures to allow those Vietnamese who wish to

do so to leave Vietnam in an orderly fashion.

But it remains to be

seen whether this statement represents a genuine change of heart

if and, even/so, how it will work out in practice.

5. The Hong Kong Government have passed legislation to help them

deal with racketeers involved in the refugee trade and to deter

such racketeers from entering the Colony.

Hong Kong's refugee admission policy

6. The Hong Kong Government's recent decision to allow over 3,000

refugees aboard the HUEY FONG to land in Hong Kong pending resettle-

ment elsewhere did not signify a change of policy on the part of the

Hong Kong authorities on the admission of refugees. Their policy

was explained in Mr Luard's written Answer on 16 January. The

HUEY FONG passengers will join the long resettlement queue in the

Colony (now over 10,000 people excluding the 3,000 on the SKYLUCK).

7. To qualify for permanent settlement in Hong Kong, a refugee from Vietnam should normally be either a spouse, a dependentchild

or a dependent elderly parent of somebody who is already a permanent

resident of the Colony. Exceptions are, however, made when there

are strong humanitarian reasons for doing so.

/8. In