TNAG-1275-FCO40-1625-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 99

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CONFIDENTIAL

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letter was not copied to FCO -

we saw a copy only via Hong Kong).

5. It had occurred to us last year that there might be a case for treating the Po Yang and Hupeh cases differently since at least in the latter case a guarantee of resettlement had gone from HMG. However, if the decision has been confirmed to exclude all residuals from Hong Kong-registered shipping, we would presumably have to address the possibility of alternative solutions for the eight residuals from the Hupeh. Clearly their continued presence in Manila is becoming an embarrassment in our relations with both the Philippine authorities and UNHCR officials locally. It may eventually make it more difficult to make quick arrangements in the future for the landing there of refugees rescued by either UK or Hong Kong registered shipping.

6. At the same time the recent decision by UNHCR in Hong Kong that they will no longer accept responsibility for the residue from the Po Yang suggests that it may now be too late to move the residue from the Hupeh to camps in Hong Kong 'to continue to pursue their resettlement opportunities'

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7. If this is so, these refugees seem to be rapidly approaching some kind of limbo. The options seem to be: continued procrastina- tion in Manila, resettlement in Hong Kong, or resettlement in the United Kingdom. The Hong Kong Government have already taken over 14,000 refugees for resettlement in Hong Kong and are clearly reluctant to take more. We are coming under increasing pressure to move the refugees from Manila. Therefore I should be grateful if you would consider if there is any chance of an exception being made in this case by the Home Office.

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8. I think it would only be fair to copy this letter to Dr Carter in Manila to show him the difficulty of our position (it should serve as some kind of reply however unsatisfactory to his tele- letter of 22 March) and also to Alan Mason in the Security Branch in Hong Kong.

Yours sincerely

cc:

Santry Esq, SPD DOT

Mr Smith, HKGD

Dr D Carter, Manila

A K Mason Esq, Hong Kong

CM J Segar

South East Asian Department

CONFIDENTIAL