TNAG-0883-FCO40-1093-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 113

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Minister

SEADU

UN DV

ннуд

港總督官邸

Mi, the formung,

THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR

FLAGSTAFF HOUSE

HONG KONG

HKK 243 11 ch 1979

RECEIVED

DESK OFFR H INDEX

March

NO. 51

508

In the haven

N Williansor

W.E. Auntill

27/3

I should have replied before to your letter of 28 February about Vietnamese refugees and to thank you for the very kind things you said in the House on 31st January and 14th February. Our weekly sitreps will be keeping the Department abreast of the situation, but you should know that there is also a very real political problem.

There is a rising ground swell of resentment here that our humane approach, or alleged softness, is merely attracting more refugees. At a meeting with members of UMELCO, the grass roots representatives such as Wong Lam and Mrs Bennett expressed forcibly the frustration that the public feel. They considered that if it was to maintain public confidence, the Government should act much more roughly so as to deter the flow. They compared Singapore's success in keeping itself free from refugees with our failure. Provided there is an adequate flow of departures, public opinion here can he held, but if the numbers continue to pile up I can foresee increasing resentment taking an ugly form. As usual we are on something of a tightrope. Local requirements point to deterrence, stiff action on the sea frontier and segregation; international goodwill requires humanity and decent treatment. Obviously the latter is essential, but our problem is going to be how to reconcile the public to it.

There is of course no practical way of keeping these people out, and once here they must be properly treated. But the only satisfactory solution is a much more rapid rate of resettlement in host countries on the one hand, and on the other effective action by the Vietnamese Government to see that emigrants are assured of entry somewhere, and of decent travelling conditions, before they leave. Mr de Haan, the Deputy UNHCR, has

/ told

The Rt Hon The Lord Goronwy-Roberts FCO