TNAG-1184-FCO40-1486-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-into-the--1982 — Page 49

ACTION COPY

сори

t

CK 12/4821/7-8

PAS (S)R.

RESTRICTED

RESTRICTED INFORMATION

COMMS OFFICE REG.NO】

12 0 4781

D.T.R. 17th SEPTEMBER 1982, 1740 HRS

D.T.D. 17th SEPTEMBER 1982 1810 HRS

FM HONG KONG 170948Z SEPT.82

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1065 OF 17 SEPTEMBER

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, UKMIS GENEVA, INFO ROUTINE AMSTERDAM, BERNE, BONN, BRASILIA, BURSSELS, CANBERRA, COPENHAGEN, HANOI, MADRID, MONTEVIDEO, OSLO, OTTAWA, PARIS, ROME, VIENNA, WASHINGTON, WELLINGTON

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG.

SECRETARY FOR SECURITY TODAY BRIEFED REPRESENTATIVES FROM COPY CAPITALS (EXCEPT HANOI) ON PRESENT VIETNAMESE REFUGEE SITUATION

IN HONG KONG.

2. HE EXPLAINED REASONS FOR INTRODUCING NEW CLOSED CAMP POLICY ON 2 JULY. RESULTS SO FAR HAD NOT BEEN ENCOURAGING: 1613 ARRIVED IN JULY, HIGHEST FIGURE SINCE 1979 AND 50 PERCENT OF REGIONAL INTAKE - LARGEST EVER PROPORTION. 1241 IN AUGUST, STILL HIGH AND ABOUT 50 PERCENT FOR REGION. SO FAR THIS MONTH EXPECTED SEASONAL REDUCTION HAD OCCURRED WITH ONLY 123. TOTAL ARRIVALS

FOR 1982 WERE 7130 AGAINST 6800 IN 1980 AND 8500 IN 1981.

MOST DISTURBING FACTOR WAS UNPRECEDENTED HIGH PERCENTAGE

OF REGIONAL INTAKE,

3. AT SAME TIME RESETTLEMENT FALLING DRAMATICALLY. IN HONG

KONG MONTHLY AVERAGE 3000 IN 1980, 1500 IN 1981 AND FOR

LAST THREE MONTHS 400 ONLY. LATTER REPRESENTED 13 PERCENT OF

REGIONAL OFFTAKE COMPARED WITH 24 PERCENT IN 1980 AND 21 IN 1981.

4. SECRETARY FOR SECURITY STRESSED REASONS FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO

ABSORB 13, 289 NOW IN HONG KONG - POLITICALLY UNACCEPTABLE HERE,

WOULD ONLY ENCOURAGE MORE FROM VIETNAM AND FROM THOSE RESETTLED

IN CHINA.

5. IN SUMMARY - HONG KONG'S HUMANE ATTITUDE HAD BEEN PENALISED

TO EXTEND HONG KONG NOW HAD LARGEST BCAT PEOPLE POPULATION IN

REGION.

6. HKG THEREFORE HOPED REPRESENTATIVES WOULD EXPLAIN SITUATION

HERE TO HOME GOVERNMENTS: PROBLEMS UNHCR AND HKG FACE IN FINDING

RESETTLEMENT OPPORTUNITIES, POPULATION PRESSURES IN HONG KONG AND NEED TO REMOVE PEOPLE TO PERMANENT RESETTLEMENT.

7. GRATEFUL IF YOU AND COPY ADDRESSEES (EXCEFT HANOI) WOULD USE SUITABLE OPPORTUNITIES TO REPEAT MESSAGE.

A: Sfors(4)

Di

CS, CBF(2), DPA (2), PA, SHA(2), Dofï(3), CP(2), D: 3(3), DIS, ESC(2), PAS(S)R, CORRECTIONAL SERVICES,PS/CH PESTDICTEN