GR 300
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 118340Z APR 83
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 485 OF 11 APRIL
FROM GOVERNOR FOR CLIFT
YOUR TELNO 334 OF 7 APRIL: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
PA
HKK 243/5
BEGRVED IN MEGISTRY ND. $1
12 APR 1983
ONECER
1. WE ARE NATURALLY DISAPPOINTED: BUT I AM GRATEFUL FOR LORD BELSTEAD'S HELP.
PEA
lantion Takin
カ
2/3/
2. THAT SAID, I AGREE THAT A POLICY OF TURNING BOATS AWAY WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO JUSTIFY IN HUMANITARIAN TERMS (AND PROBABLY NOT SUSTAINABLE). THE BOATS ARE USUALLY HARDLY IN A SEA-WORTHY CONDITION. AS CHINA AND MACAU WOULD ALSO TURN THEM AWAY, THE ALTERNATIVE WOULD BE LONG SEA JOURNEYS TO TAIWAN OR THE PHILIPPINES WHERE THEIR RECEPTION WOULD BE EQUALLY UNFRIENDLY. IN PRACTICE THE MOST LIKELY OUTCOME WOULD BE THAT THEY WOULD HANG AROUND OUTSIDE HONG KONG WATERS WAITING FOR A CHANCE TO LAND IN HONG KONG EITHER UNDETECTED OR AS THE OUTCOME OF EMBARRASSING PUBLICITY.
3. IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES, I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD PURSUE THE LINE YOU SUGGEST. THE STRESS MUST BE ON THE PROPOSED JOINT APPROACH TO THE VIETNAMESE (UNHCR, U.S., AUSTRALIA, FRANCE, HMG TO WHICH WE WOULD ADD CANADA WHICH HAS BEEN SECOND TO THE U.S. AS FAR AS HONG KONG IS CONCERNED). BUT IT WOULD NOT BE ENOUGH SIMPLY TO POINT OUT THE PROBLEMS AND ADVOCATE GREATER USE OF THE ODP. THIS WELL TRODDEN PATH HAS NOT SO FAR PRODUCED ANY HELP FOR HONG KONG. THE FARMERS AND FISHERMEN FROM CENTRAL AND NORTHERN VIETNAM ARE NOT THE SORT OF CANDIDATES EVER LIKELY TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE ODP. THE TALKS WITH THE VIETNAMESE SHOULD ACCORDINGLY BE DESIGNED TO OPEN UP ONCE AGAIN THE WHOLE PROBLEM OF HOW TO DISCOURAGE THE EXODUS. WITH THAT BROADER OBJECTIVE, THERE MIGHT BE AT LEAST SOME HOPE OF AN OUTCOME THAT WOULD SHUT THE GATE SUFFICIENTLY FOR US TO BE ABLE TO CONVINCE THE RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES THAT THE PROBLEM IS FINITE: AND GO SOME WAY TWOARDS SATISFYING THE POLITICAL PRESSURES HERE.
YOUDE
LIMITED
HKdGD
SEAD
UND
MR. DONALD
CONFIDENTIAL
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