TNAG-1274-FCO40-1624-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 191

CONFIDENTIAL

(131)

TT HONG KONG

GRS 202

CONFIDENTIAL

TELELETTER

FROM R D CLIFT, HONG KONG DEPARTMENT

18150 1

HKK243/1

•

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

1C SEP 1983

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

PA

-

REGIST

Agter. Tarta

عبده

FILE REFERENCE HKK243/1 DATED 15 SEPTEMBER 1983

FOLLOWING FOR D G JEAFFRESON, SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, HONG KONG

YOUR TELELETTER SCR 56/4821/79 VII OF 2 SEPTEMBER: VIETNAMESE

REFUGEES

1. I HAD NOT FORGOTTEN OUR CONVERSATION OF 8 JULY, BUT THOUGHT

IT BETTER TO AWAIT THE OUTCOME OF THE HONOLULU CONFERENCE AND

OTHER DEVELOPMENTS BEFORE WRITING TO YOU. MY VIEWS ON THE TWO

IDEAS YOU RAISE ARE AS FOLLOWS.

2. ON (A), MY RECOLLECTION IS THAT YOU SAID THE HOME OFFICE

WERE ONLY PREPARED TO CONSIDER A FURTHER QUOTA AS PART OF A

'PACKAGE' INVOLVING REPATRIATION. AS FORCIBLE REPATRIATION HAS

BEEN RULED OUT BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE, WE HAVE NOT PURSUED

THIS. HOWEVER WE SHALL CONSIDER WHETHER TO ASK MINISTERS TO

APPROACH THE HOME OFFICE AGAIN ABOUT A NEW QUOTA AFTER MR LUCE'S

VISIT TO HONG KONG.

3. I PRESUME THAT BY 'SAFE RETURN' IN (B) YOU MEAN VOLUNTARY

REPATRIATION. OBVIOUSLY WE COULD NOT GO FURTHER THAN THAT. THIS

APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED IN SOME DETAIL AT HONOLULU, THOUGH

MORE IN THE CONTEXT OF LAO AND KHMER REFUGEES IN THAILAND THAN

VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE. WE SHOULD HAVE NO OBJECTION TO YOUR

ARRANGING A MEETING IF YOU THINK IT WOULD BE USEFUL.

(130).

R D CLIFT

1

CONFIDENTIAL