TNAG-1182-FCO40-1484-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-into-the--1982 — Page 39

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registered ships Willine Toyo, Ben Avon and Euplecta and taken to Hong Kong were counted against the quota and this facility was still open to Hong Kong at the time of arrival of the vessels Hupeh and Po Yang. If the Hong Kong authorities chose not to include refugees from the two vessels but selected others from the UNHCR camp then I do not see why we should now accept them.

For the future, I have noted the argument about Hong Kong being a country of first asylum but I am not convinced that because of this the United Kingdom should issue a flag-state guarantee in respect of refugees rescued by Hong Kong registered vessels. I do not see why such refugees should be in any different circumstances in Hong Kong to those arriving in their own small boats from Vietnam and available for resettlement by UNHCR. The possibility of further boat rescues by UK registered ships may provide us with problems enough and I am fairly certain that Ministers would be opposed to any move towards increasing those problems by agreeing to take refugees from Hong Kong registered ships.

I am sorry to be so negative but the pressures on this country over refugees are even greater now than in 1979 and I see little hope of any further assistance to Hong Kong from this quarter.

I am sending a copy of this letter to Mrs Lee in our Voluntary Services Unit who also has an interest; and to Smith in the Department of Trade.

Haus

Succul Eun Soola

E SODEN