TNAG-1274-FCO40-1624-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 145

REPATRATION.

CONFIDENTIAL

THE 34TH SESSION OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE UNHCR MET BETWEEN 10 AND 19 OCTOBER 1983. A HONG KONG REPRESENTATIVE, MR PATRICK WILLIAMSON, ATTENDED AS PART OF THE UK DELEGATION. WILLIAMSON HELD INFORMAL DISCUSSIONS WITH A NUMBER OF MAJOR RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES, AND MET THE VIETNAMESE DELEGATION. THE MEETING PROVIDED NEITHER DRAMATIC INITIATIVES ON HONG KONG'S OR THE REGION'S VR PROBLEMS, NOR SIGNS THAT RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES WOULD TAKE SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER NUMBERS FROM HERE. THE MAJOR DEVELOPMENT WAS THE WIDESPREAD SUPPORT GIVEN BY DELEGATES

TO THE PRINCIPLE OF VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION OF OF REFUGEES. THIS CONCEPT WILL BE GIVEN EVERY SUPPORT BY HONG KONG, E

BUT, IN THE ABSENCE OF BOTH THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT'S AGREEMENT TO TAKE BACK VOLUNTEERS AND OF ANY SIGNS THAT REFUGEES IN THE CENTRES WILL WANT TO RETURN VOLUNTARILY, IT HOLDS OUT LITTLE HOPE OF SUCCESS AS FAR AS WE ARE CONCERNED. CLOSED CENTRES MAY IN TaME PERSUADE VRS TO RECONSIDER THEIR FUTURE. BUT TO DATE HONG KONG HAS REPATRIATED ONLY FOURTEEN VOLUNTEERS SINCE 1973.

LINE TO TAKE.

1. NO OPPORTUNITY SHOULD NOW BE LOST TO EMPHASISE HONG KONG'S DIFFICULTIES TO THE GOVERNMENTS WITH WHICH THE LONDON, BRUSSELS, GENEVA, WASHINGTON AND NEW YORK OFFICES HAVE DEALINGS: TO STRESS THAT THESE DIFFICULTIES HAVE AR-ISEN BECAUSE HONG KONG HAS STUCK FULLY BY THE INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT REACHED AT THE U.N. CONFERENCE ON MNDOCHINESE REFUGEES OF JULY 1979, IN CONTINUING TO PROVIDE TEMPORARY ASYLUM TO ALL BOAT ARRIVALS ON THE BASS THAT ALL WOULD ULTIMATELY BE RESETTLED ELSEWHERE, (HONG KONG HAS NEVER TURNED A BOAT AWAY): AND TO TRY TO PERSUADE RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES TO TAKE CONSIDERABLY MORE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG, PARTICULARLY THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN HERE FOR A LONG TIME (4,382 HAVE BEEN IN HONG KONG FOR MORE THAN TWO YEARS, INCLUDING 3,139 WHO HAVE BEEN HERE MORE THAN FOUR YEARS).

2. YOU SHOULD DRAW FREELY ON THE INFORMATION IN THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPHS, EXCEPT THAT THE POINTS IN SQUARE BRACKETS NEED TO BE USED WITH CARE.

3. N ANSWER TO QUESTIONS, YOU CAN ALSO STATE THAT EVERY ASSISTANCE KS GIVEN TO NEW ARRIVALS, IF THEY WISH TO CONTINUE WITH THEIR JOURNEY OR GO BACK TO VIETNAM. IF THEY DECIDE TO STAY, IN AN ATTEMPT TO DETER OTHERS FROM COMING, THEY ARE DETAINED IN CLOSED CENTRES BUT ARE TREATED IN ACCORDANCE WITH HONG KONG LAW AND IN CONDITIONS ACCEPTABLE TO THE UNHCR WHICH BOTH MAINTAINS A PRESENCE IN AND HELPS TO FUND THE CENTRES.

CONFIDENTIAL ·4-

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