TNAG-1274-FCO40-1624-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 279

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CONFIDENTIAL

24-3/1

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG 210510Z JUN 83

TO ROUTINE FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 832 OF 21 JUNE 1983

Discussed.

AND TO ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICES LONDON,

GENEVA, WASHINGTON AND CG NEW YORK

FOR HKG REPRESENTATIVES

BRUSSELS

SELS

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REF

SUBJECT

HKG/GT/26

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES

HKG/GT/

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG

PRESENT POSITION

HKK 248/1

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

deance at tEAD HE

10 NOV 1983

REGISTRY

INDE.

PA

Action Taken

THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEE POPULATION IN HONG KONG ON 14 JUNE 1983 WAS 12,784, THE HIGHEST IN THE WHOLE SOUTH EAST ASIAN REGION, HAVING RISEN FROM JUST OVER 9,800 ONE YEAR AGO. AT THE END OF MAY 1983 THE HONG KONG REFUGEE POPULATION WAS 12,483 OF THE REGIONAL CASELOAD OF 42,932. IN 1982, 19 PER CENT OF ALL THOS LEAVING VIETNAM CAME TO HONG KONG, COMPARED WITH THE AVERAGE OF 11 PER CENT IN THE PREVIOUS TWO YEARS. TO DISCOURAGE THE EXODUS, THE 4,660 MOST RECENT ARRIVALS ARE IN CLOSED CENTRES AS ALL FUTURE ARRIVALS WILL BE. WITH GREATLY REDUCED RESETTLEMENT PROGRAMMES, THERE IS NO PROSPECT OF GETTING THE NUMBERS DOWN IN THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE UNLESS A MAJOR NEW INITIATIVE IS TAKEN.

ARRIVALS

IN 1982, 7,840 REFUGEES ARRIVED IN HONG KONG, REPRESENTING DECREASE OF ONLY 7 PER CENT FROM THE 8,470 ARRIVALS IN 1981. THIS IS IN CONTRAST TO A DROP IN ARRIVALS IN SOUTH EAST ASIA IN 1982 OF 42 PER CENT COMPARED WITH 1981. OPEN SQUARE BRACKED FOR YOUR INFORMATION, VIRTUALLY ALL THE 1982 ARRIVALS WERE ETHNIC VIETNAMESE, THE MAJORITY OF WHOM LEFT VIETNAM TO IMPROVE THEIR LIVING STANDARDS RATHER THAN THROUGH FEAR OF PERSECUTION ON POLITICAL, RELIGIOUS OR RACIAL GROUNDS. THEY ARE MAINLY LAND WORKERS AND FISHERMEN WHO SPEAK ONLY VIETNAMESE. CLOSE SQUARE BRACKETS.

THE STATE OF THE PRESENT VIETNAMESE ECONOMY AND THE POLICIES OF THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT ARE SUCH THAT MORE PEOPLE WILL WANT TO LEAVE. THERE ARE INDICATIONS THAT THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT IS ALSO INCREASINGLY CONCERNED AT THE CONTINUING OUTFLOW BUT THEY FIND IT DIFFICULT TO PATROL THEIR LONG COASTLINE EFFECTIVELY.

CONFIDENTIAL

TH=116

voted By to

Miss wathr

7/12

/CORRUPTION

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