TNAG-1277-FCO40-1627-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 97

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FM HONG KONG 22034OZ NOV 83

TO ROUTINE PORT MORESBY

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1 OF 22 NOVEMBER 1983

Please copy to SEAD (M. seger).

see (38)

sent. Then PA

INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON AND FCO

POSSIBLE RESETTLEMENT OF VIETNAMESE REFUCEES (VRS) IN

PAPUA NEW GUINEA

THEY"

AS PART OF OUR CONTINUING EFFORTS TO SECURE RESETTLEMENT PLACES FOR VIETNAMESE REFUGEES STRANDED HERE, WE HAVE NOW TO INVESTIGATE ANY REASONABLE PROPOSAL TO THIS END. WE HAVE RECENTLY HEARD ABOUT ONE SUCH PROPOSAL FROM LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES OF THE WORLD RELIEF SERVICE, AN AMERICAN VOLUNTARY AGENCY WORKING WITH REFUGEES HERE. THE SCHEME MENTIONED WOULD INVOLVE THE RESETTLEMENT OF VIET- NAMESE REFUGEE FARMERS TO PAPUA NEW GUINEA TO HELP EXPLOIT THE UNDER-DEVELOPED MINERAL AND AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES OF THE COUNTRY.

BACKGROUND ON HONG KONG'S VR PROBLEM:

2. HONG KONG CURRENTLY PLAYS HOST TO 13,300 VRS, WITH THE PROSPECT ON THIS YEAR'S PATTER OF AN ADDITIONAL 3,500 IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS. MOST ARE UNSKILLED LAND WORKERS OR FISHERMEN. UNLIKE PREVIOUS YEARS, RESETTLEMENT HAS ALL BUT DRIED UP. AT THE START OF 1982, 1,800 WERE LEAVING HERE A MONTH, WHILE NOW ONLY ABOUT 300 LEAVE PER MONTH. ON CURRENT RATE OF DEPARTURE, THOSE ALREADY HERE WILL TAKE AT LEAST 4 YEARS TO BE RESETTLED. EUROPE, AUSTRALIA AND NORTH AMERICA, TRADITIONAL PLACES FOR RESETTLEMENT, ARE SAYING THEY HAVE TAKEN ENOUGH.

3. AS A RESULT, HONG KONG HAS BY FAR THE LARGEST VIETNAMESE BOAT POPULATION IN THE REGION (29 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL, AND BY FAR THE LARGEST PROPORTION OF LONG TERM REFUGEES (33 PER CENT HAVE BEEN HERE OVER 2 YEARS). WE HAVE INSTITUTED MEASURES TO DETER FURTHER ARRIVALS HUMANELY BY PLACING THEM IN CLOSED CENTRES WHERE THEY CANNOT TAKE UP OUTSIDE EMPLOYMENT. BUT THEY CONTINUE TO COME. WE HAVE ONE OF THE HIGHEST POPULATION DENSITIES IN THE WORLD AND FACE CONTINUING ILLEGAL HIMIGRATION FROM CHINA WHICH WE HAVE TO DEAL

WITH BY REPATRIATION.

RESTNICTED

CONCLUSION