TNAG-1184-FCO40-1486-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-into-the--1982 — Page 111

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We could be assured that there was no discrimination by the Vietnamese over departures to the different resettlement countries. A longer notice period would be looked into.

Long asked what the Vietnamese were doing to discourage illegal departures. The Minister asserted that the ODP had already served to decrease the numbers leaving illegally, and asked how many Vietnamese refugees were now in Hong Kong. Williamson said that the numbers had increase from 9,000 in April this year to 13,300. This unhappy trend coincided with another, that of less places being on offer from the main resettle- ment countries. The Minister asked specifically about ethnic Chinese who had left Vietnam for China before entering Hong Kong. Williamson said these had all returned to China, and none was included in the present number of refugees in Hong Kong awaiting settlement. Finally Long mentioned the closed camp policy in Hong Kong, which left refugees with no prospect of resettlement elsewhere. Would Vietnam accept any who wished to be repatriated? Ha van Lau said that several countries had asked the same question. There might be security difficulties in taking back people who had chosen to leave, but that his Government was prepared to consider any applications on a case by case basis.

10. As we left, Long mentioned the Cambodians who wished to leave Vietnam and asked whether they could be considered as genuine refugees. The Minister said that many of these people were looking for better economic pastures. Those whose relatives had been killed or who had lost all their property did not want to go back.

Comment

11. The Minister's comments in the public meeting that problems in the ODP were mainly due to bureaucracy tacitly

acknowledges

much of Derek Tonkin's complaints in his teleletter of 29 September, paragraph 7. At such a meeting we could scarcely bring up charges of corruption. The whole operation was to some extent another whitewash job. But there were encouraging features. The specific offer to discuss problems with our Embassy in Hanoi at regular intervals went beyond last November's claim that the Vietnamese were always available for talks. The Minister clearly took seriously the need for a longer notification period, and UNHCR hope that such an arrangement may be introduced. have helped matters an inch or two forward. But we are well aware of the gap between smiles and intentions, and that between intentions and actions.

ever

Yours

Brian

rian

B D Adams

We may

cc:

P JB Roberts Esq, Hanoi A D Conyard Esq, MVD/FCO DM Crystal Esq, Bangkok PJ Williamson Esq, Hong Kong

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