TNAG-0900-FCO40-1110-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 11

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Hong Kong is desperately short. Over 67,000 have arrived

since January; in the same period only 6,324 have left for

resettlement. Some 7,000 of the total arrivals came on large

vessels (the Huey Fong, Skyluck and Sen On) believed to be

engaged in trafficking in refugees for profit.

MEASURES TAKEN TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT

3. The Hong Kong Government have introduced legislation designed

to deter trafficking in refugees and more is due to be enacted on

1 August. They give the Hong Kong Government power to intercept,

search and seize vessels believed to be involved in the carriage

of refugees. The trial of the master and others connected with the

Huey Fong on charges brought under the new laws is taking place at

present.

4. In the past six weeks the Governor of Hong Kong has twice come

to London for consultations. He has also been to Washington, for

discussions with the American administration, to New York, where

he met the UN Secretary General, and to Geneva to see the UN High

Commissioner for Refugees. Finally he addressed the conference on

Vietnamese refugees held in Geneva on 20-21 July under the auspices

of the United Nations. In all this he has sought to increase under-

standing of the problems Hong Kong is facing because of the influx

and petition for quicker resettlement of the refugees.

MEASURES TAKEN TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM BY THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT

5. We are pursuing two main objectives:

(i) to bring international pressure to bear on the Vietnamese

Government to take effective measures to stop the outflow;

(ii) to focus attention on the need for many more resettlement

places for the refugees who have already left, and for

more money for the UNHCR.

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