TNAG-1068-FCO40-1318-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-in-the-UK-1981 — Page 36

SCR 1/4821/78

D Tonkin Esq HANOI

A t

25 May 1981

VIETNAMESE EMIGRATION POLICY

Thank you fur copying to me your letter of 23 March to Crabbie in Washington. Unfortunately, partly due to a duty visit to Peking, ytor latter was temporarily mieluid in By Bufe. I have now copied it to a number of people here. You may, therefore, be interested in the enclosed comments on it by Halcola Chadderton. Although Halcolm uses the word 'propaganda' in paragraph 2 of his memo, it is probably more accurate to say that the points to which he drave attention ere, as you suggest in paragraph 2 of your letter, an accurate reflection of an official policy. This is a subject on shien I hope to write to you uno SEXD but pressure of work may delay this. I would, therefore, be grateful for any cumionts which you could make on the prospects of Vietnam agreeing in. the foreseeable future to receive back people vio have left puroly for economic reasons.

2.

I realle that this is a somaltive subject and I ama not suggesting that this is necessarily a line of thought which it could be either morally right of practically feasible to carry to its logical conclusion. Levertheless, it is vell tu zenumber that UNMCR's basle attitude to zafugee problems is that the best solution is return to the country of origin.

3..

A further reason for asking for your comments is that unofficial members of the Legislative Council have recently asked Bim Davies, Secretary for Security, about the possibility of refugees being returned to Victrum, given the reasons for departure, rate of arrivals and slow rate of resettlement.

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CONFIDENTIAL