TNAG-1179-FCO40-1481-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-into-the--1982 — Page 83

16

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FROM J.R. HEYWOOD, DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, HONG KONG

GOVERNMENT

FILE REFERENCE: CR 2/4821/75

DATE: 11 FEBRUARY 1982

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FOLLOWING FOR R.D. CLIFT, ESQ., HONG KONG AND GENERAL DEPT FCO

B.W. ADAMS, UKMIS GENEVA,

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG

YOU MAY WELCOME A BRIEF UP-DATE ON THE SITUATION HERE. RICHARD MARGOLIS' TELELETTER TO PATRICK WILLIAMSON OF 4 FEBRUARY IS ALSO

ELEVANT.

HKK 243/21

1981.

1 HKK 243/23

2. WE HAVE SINCE LAST AUTUMN BEEN PRESSING THE AMERICANS TC PUBLICISE THE TIGHTENING OF THEIR RESETTLEMENT CRITERIA (REPORTED

IN THE CHIEF SECRETARY'S LETTER TO DONALLD OF 2 DECEMBER), IF THIS WAS TO ACHIEVE THE DETERRENT EFFECT THEY INTENDED. THEY SEEMED INEXPLICABLY RELUCTANT TO DO SO, BUT TO THEIR PRIVATE RELIEF THE HEAD OF UNHCR'S LOCAL OFFICE, JACQUEST TERLIN, HAS NOW HIGHLIGHTED

RE CHANGE IN

A LUNCHTIME SPEECH. THE PRESS HAVE THUS AT LAST

PICKED THIS UP (COPIES TO YOU BY BAG), AND HOISTED IN THE FACT THAT A HIGH PROPORTION OF HONG KONG'S ARRIVALS (ESTIMATES VARY FROM 32 TO 50 PER CENT) WILL NOW FALL OUTSIDE ANY ELIGIBILITY FOR THE U.S. PROGRAMME. WHEN ASKED TO COMMENT, WE SAID THAT WE SHARED TERLIN'S CONCERN, AND HOPED THE MESSAGE WOULD GET BACK TO VIETNAM.

3. FOLLOWING THE INCIDENTS IN JUBILEE CAMP LAST AUTUMN, AND THE RIOT IN CHI MA WAN IN DECEMBER, THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE PRESS INTEREST IN AN OTHERWISE RELATIVELY MINOR BRAWL IN OUR DEPARTURE CAMP, ARGYLE 111, LAST WEEKEND, IN WHICH A PRISONS OFFICER WAS HOWEVER SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE PRESS ARE SNIFFING AROUND FOR SOME COMMON FACTOR BEHIND THESE INCIDENTS. OUR VIEW IS THAT SUCH ERUPTIONS STEM FROM PROLONGED CAMP LIFE, WITH ITS BOREDOM AND UNCERTAINLY, RATHER THAN FROM ANY CONCERTED ATTEMPT TO QUOTE TEST THE GOVERNMENT'S NERVE UNQUOTE, AS THE PRESS WOULD PROBABLY LIKE TO INTERPRET IT.

-

4. IT IS CLEAR THAT PUBLIC OPINION IS COMING TO REALISE THAT WE FACE A CHANGED SITUATION: THE HAPPY DAYS OF LARGE-SCALE RESETTLEMENT ARE CLEARLY OVER, AND WE FACE FRICTION AND RESENTMENT IN (AND AT) AN INCREASINGLY STAGNANT REFUGEE POPULATION. WE WERE ASKED TODAY BY THE PRESS QUOTE WHAT ALTERNATIVES TO RESETTLEMENT WERE BEING CONSIDERED BY GOVERNMENT? UNGUOTE TO WHICH WE GAVE A HOLDING ANSWER. (WE HAVE AS YOU KNOW BEEN CONSIDERING FOR SOME TIME WHAT MEASURES WOULD BE OPEN TO US IF WE CAME UNDER PUBLIC PRESSURE TO BE SEEN TO BE DOING SOMETHING, RATHER THAN PASSIVELY ACCEPTING AN INDEFINITE INFLOW OF DISAGREEABLE AND UNPOPULAR QUCTE GUESTS UNQUOTE. IN THIS CONTEXT WE LOOK FORWARD IN DUE COURSE TO RECEIVING THE PROMISED SUBSTATIVE REPLY TO THE CHIEF SECRETARY'S LETTER OF 2 DECEMBER TO ALAN DONALD).

HKK 243/2018

1981.

5.. HKK AND GD REGISTRY PLEASE PASS COPY TO HONG KONG OFFICE.

SIGNED J.R. HEYWOOD

сори Развед то

Copy HAS BEGEN PAZRED TO GENEVA