CONFIDENTIAL
39800 1
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SEVERAL
THERE ARE STILL 3,200 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG WHO HAD
BEEN SETTLED IN CHINA AND ENTERED HONG KONG ILLEGALLY.
THOUSAND HAVE ALREADY BEEN RETURNED TO CHINA AND DISCUSSION
OVER THE REMAINDER CONTINUES WITH THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES.
HM GOVERNMENT'S ROLE:
SINCE MY RIGHT HONOURABLE FRIEND THE PRIME MINISTER CALLED FOR
THE GENEVA CONFERENCE IN 1979, MORE THAN 70,000 VIETNAMESE
REFUGEES HAVE BEEN RESETTLED FROM HONG KONG. ABOUT 11,000
OF THESE HAVE COME TO THE UK.
BOAT RESCUES:
IT IS OUR VIEW THAT REFUGEES RESCUED AT SEA SHOULD BE LANDED AT
THE FIRST PORT OF CALL WITHOUT A GUARANTEE OF RESETTLEMENT FROM
THE FLAG STATE. WHEN LOCAL CIRCUMSTANCES DO NOT PERMIT THIS, WE
WILL LOOK AT EACH CASE INDIVIDUALLY WHICH ARISES FROM RESCUE BY
A BRITISH SHIP.
THE THREE VIETNAMESE BOYS:
WE HAVE AGREED THAT THESE THREE BOYS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO SETTLE
HERE ON EXCEPTIONAL HUMANITARIAN GROUNDS.
THE US GOVERNMENT'S ROLE:
I MUST PAY TRIBUTE TO THE US GOVERNMENT WHICH HAS TAKEN BY FAR
THE LARGEST SHARE OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG AND
INDEED SOUTH EAST ASIA. I HOPE THAT THEY WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO.
FAMILY REUNIONS:
WE WILL CONTINUE TO CONSIDER FOR RESETTLEMENT CLOSE RELATIVES OF
REFUGEES ALREADY ACCEPTED FOR SETTLEMENT HERE.
HONG KONG'S ROLE:
HONG KONG'S ROLE BOTH AS A PLACE OF FIRST ASYLUM AND OF RESETTLE-
MENT HAS BEEN EXEMPLARY. IT IS NOT WELL KNOWN THAT HONG KONG
HAS ITSELF ACCEPTED MORE THAN 15,000 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FOR
PERMANENT SETTLEMENT. THIS, AT A TIME WHEN THE INFLUX OF
IMMIGRANTS FROM CHINA HAS IMPOSED CONSIDERABLE STRAINS ON THE
TERRITORY, IS MOST COMMENDABLE
4. GRATEFUL FOR COMMENTS DESKBY 080900Z. YOU WILL HOWEVER
APPRECIATE THAT THE DRAFT REPLIES ON HMG'S POSITION CANNOT BE
SUBSTANTIALLY MODIFIED. WE HAVE NO LEEWAY.
CARRINGTON
DISTRIBUTION
LIMITED
HKGD
SEAD
SIRE YOUDE
MR DONALD
COPIES
HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON
MR S SPENCE, HOME OFFICE
LUNAR HOUSE CROYDON
2 CONFIDENTIAL
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