و
pa (VRs & HK) See
12442
MKK 243/1
RAGZIVED IN NESISTRY NO. 51
SPEAKING NOTE
INDEX
2 5 FEB 1983
IFICER
PA
기
REGISTRY
Action Taken
Chas/2
We were grateful to receive advance warning that
•
a boat carrying 98 Vietnamese refugees would be arriving in Hong Kong from Macau. However, there are a number of disturbing features about this incident.
2.
As the Acting Consul-General will be aware, the practice of the Macau authorities of directing, and in some cases towing, refugee boats to Hong Kong causes the Hong Kong Government some difficulty.
3.
It is a generally accepted principle in refugee matters that the first port of call should be the place at which the refugees are landed pending resettlement. This applies irrespective of the wishes of the refugees. The Hong Kong authorities have shown a flexible approach to this problem in the case of Macau because of the limited resources available to the authorities in Macau.
4.
They
In this case, however, the refugees had spent a considerable time in Macau and, we understand, in 'accommodation provided by the Macau authorities. also received medical treatment. The fact that they had signed a piece of paper indicating their desire to come to Hong Kong is not relevant. We consider that these refugees should not have been given assistance to come on to Hong Kong after such an extended stay in Macau, hope that this will not happen again.
We
Political Adviser's Office
Hong Kong
2 February 1983
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.