TNAG-1273-FCO40-1623-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 99

GR 300

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG 11884OZ APR 83

TO IMMEDIATE FOO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 485 OF 11 APRIL

від нии гиз /

НСК 2431

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

22 APR 1983

(31)

FROM GOVERNOR FOR CLIFT

TAKK 243/5 (39)

YOUR TELNO 334 OF 7 APRIL: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES

DESK OFFICER INDEX

REGISTRY

PA

Action Taken

If 2714

1. WE ARE NATURALLY DISAPPOINTED: BUT I AM GRATEFUL FOR LORD BELSTEAD'S HELP.

2. THAT SAID, I AGREE THAT A POLICY OF TURNING BOATS AWAY WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO JUSTIFY IN HUMANITARIAN TERMS (AND PROBABLY NOT SUSTAINABLE). THE BOATS ARE USUALLY HARDLY IN A SEA-WORTHY CONDITION. AS CHINA AND MACAU WOULD ALSO TURN THEM AWAY, THE ALTERNATIVE WOULD BE LONG SEA JOURNEYS TO TAIWAN OR THE PHILIPPINES WHERE THEIR RECEPTION WOULD BE EQUALLY UNFRIENDLY. IN PRACTICE THE MOST LIKELY OUTCOME WOULD BE THAT THEY WOULD HANG AROUND OUTSIDE HONG KONG WATERS WAITING FOR A CHANCE TO LAND IN HONG KONG EITHER UNDETECTED OR AS THE OUTCOME OF EMBARRASSING PUBLICITY.

3. IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES, I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD PURSUE THE LINE YOU SUGGEST. THE STRESS MUST BE ON THE PROPOSED JOINT APPROACH TO THE VIETNAMESE (UNHCR, U.S., AUSTRALIA, FRANCE, HMG TO WHICH WE WOULD ADD CANADA WHICH HAS BEEN SECOND TO THE U.S. AS FAR AS HONG KONG IS CONCERNED). BUT IT WOULD NOT BE ENOUGH SIMPLY TO POINT OUT THE PROBLEMS AND ADVOCATE GREATER USE OF THE ODP. THIS WELL TRODDEN PATH HAS NOT SO FAR PRODUCED ANY HELP FOR HONG KONG. THE FARMERS AND FISHERMEN FROM CENTRAL AND NORTHERN VIETNAM ARE NOT THE SORT OF CANDIDATES EVER LIKELY TO BE SUCCESSFUL

IN THE ODP. THE TALKS WITH THE VIETNAMESE SHOULD ACCORDINGLY BE DESIGNED TO OPEN UP ONCE AGAIN THE WHOLE PROBLEM OF HOW TO

DISCOURAGE THE EXODUS. WITH THAT BROADER OBJECTIVE, THERE MIGHT

BE AT LEAST SOME HOPE OF AN OUTCOME THAT WOULD SHUT THE GATE

SUFFICIENTLY FOR US TO BE ABLE TO CONVINCE THE RESETTLEMENT

COUNTRIES THAT THE PROBLEM IS FINITE: AND GO SOME WAY TWOARDS

SATISFYING THE POLITICAL PRESSURES HERE.

YOUDE

LIMITED

HK&GD

_SEAD

UND

MR. DONALD

CONFIDENTIAL