ها
Comprisement
WITH INDEFINITE INCARCERATION.
MULTILATERAL APPROACH TO VIETNAM
IN VIEW OF THE SERIOUS PROBLEMS THAT HONG KONG CONTINUES TO FACE, HMG HAS DECIDED TO EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITY OF A MULTILATERAL APPROACH TO THE VIETNAMESE AIMED AT REDUCING THE OUTFLOW FROM VIET- NAM AND IMPROVING THE RATE OF DEPARTURE UNDER THE ORDERLY DEPARTURE PROGRAMME. IN ADDITION RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES WILL AGAIN BE URGED TO TAKE MORE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG. APPROACHES ARE BEING MADE TO WASHINGTON, OTTAWA, CANBERRA AND PARIS, AND SEPARATELY TO UNHCR HQ IN GENEVA. IN THE LIGHT OF THESE APPROACHES, CAREFUL CONSIDERATION IS NOW BEING GIVEN TO THE NEXT STEP.
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, AND THAT THESE DIFFICULTIES HAVE ARISEN FROM HONG KONG'S HUMANE POLICY OF NOT TURNING BOATS 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 (4,375 HAVE BEEN IN HONG KONG FOR MORE THAN TWO YEARS, INCLUDING 1,494 WHO HAVE BEEN HIRE
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 GREAT CARE.
3. IN ANSWER TO QUESTIONS, YOU CAN ALSO STATE THAT EVERY ASSISTANCE IS 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 HELPF
TO FUND THE CENTRES.
4. HONG KONG JUST CANNOT CONTINUE TO ACCEPT MORE REFUGEES INTO ITS OWN COMMUNITY, GIVEN ITS OWN POPULATION PRESSURE AND ITS SMALL SIZE. NOR, FOR SIMILAR REASONS, CAN IT LONG CONTINUE TO ACT AS A PLACE OF FIRST ASYLUM UNLESS IT CAN BE SURE THAT THE REFUGEES WILL BE RE-
SETTLED ELSEWHERE. YOUDE
LIMITED
SEAD
HKD
UND
FED
PUSD
NEWS D MAED PS
ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION
PS/LADY YOUNG PS/MR LUCE
BOAT PEOPLE
PS/FUS MR WRIGHT
MR GIFFARD
MR DONALD MR ADAMS MR URE
CONFIDENTIAL
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