TNAG-0890-FCO40-1100-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 162

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The Situation in Hong Kong

Over 51,000 Vietnamese await resettlement in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong has allowed to remain temporarily all refugees in small boats and until Sibonga,refugees picked up at sea by vessels for whom Hong Kong is the next scheduled port of call. Accommodation is

now desperately short.

7.

Because of staff shortages, the UNHCR have only assumed

responsibility for 12,000, of those: only 3,400 have left for finali

settlement this year. . Hong Kong's problem is exacerbated by a a

continuing high level of legal and illegal immigrants from China:a:

100,000 arrived in 1978. Probably over 100,000 have arrived so far

this year.

Assistance to Vietnam

8.

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The last Government announced that it would be giving no further

aid to Vietnam. The only continuing project involves the teaching

of English to some Vietnamese students in England. Vietnam now

receives the bulk of its economic assistance from the Soviet Union and

other CMEA countries. The Secretary of State and the Lord Privy Seal

have spoken to the Soviet Ambassador, and other Ministers and officials to the other Eastern European Ambassadors in London urging

them to use their influence with the Vietnamese authorities to achieve

improvements, but we do not realistically expect them to do so.

The UNHCR/Vietnam Agreement (Defensive)

9.

The 30 May agreement between Vietnam and the UNHCR concerning

Vietnamese who have already been accepted for settlement elsewhere

is welcome. But its effect will be insignificant compared with the

present and expected flow of boat refugees. Estimates of those

eligible under the scheme come to about 20,000: the UNHCR has estimated

that over 50,000 boat refugees left Vietnam in May.

Rescue by UK Registered Vessels

10. As the Home Secretary said, the United Kingdom is going to honour

its international obligations under the law of the sea. We shall

however continue to press the countries of first port of call of vessels

which rescue refugees to accept them for temporary or permanent

resettlement. We share the view expressed by the UNHCR Executive

Committee in 1978 that this is the proper way to deal with the problem.

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/(Defensive) 11.