TNAG-1279-FCO40-1630-Repatriation-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 14

DD HONG KONG 08010OZ

GRS 490

CONFIDENTIAL

DESKBY 080100Z

FM FCO 071600Z APR 83

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

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CONFIDENTIAL

TELEGRAM NUMBER 334 OF 7 APRIL

PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM CLIFT

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PA

HKK 243/5

434

RECENEDIA GUISTRY NO. 51 12 APR 1983

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IHODK

PA

RECUSTRY

Action Taken

11/12/4/87

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES

1. AT HIS MEETING WITH YOU ON 10 MARCH, LORD BELSTEAD

REFERRED TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S RESERVATIONS ABOUT THE

IDEA OF REPATRIATION, BUT SAID THAT HE WOULD NEVERTHELESS

RECOMMEND TO HIM THAT WE SHOULD MAKE AN APPROACH TO THE

VIETNAMESE ON THE LINES YOU PROPOSED. THIS HE DID. THE

SECRETARY OF STATE, HOWEVER, WAS NOT PERSUADED OF THE MERITS OF

SUCH AN APPROACH. HE FELT THAT WE WERE MOST UNLIKELY TO GET ANY

SATISFACTORY ASSURANCES OUT OF THE VIETNAMESE, WHILE THE RISK OF

A LEAK, WHICH WOULD PUT HMG IN THE DOGHOUSE PUBLICLY EVEN IF WE

HAD IN PRACTICE TAKEN NO DECISIONS ON INVOLUNTARY REPATRIATION,

WAS HIGH.

2. THE SECRETARY OF STATE IS, HOWEVER, AWARE OF THE

SERIOUSNESS OF THE PROBLEM FOR HONG KONG. HE SUGGESTED THAT

CONSIDERATION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO THE POSSIBILITY OF SOME KIND OF

MULTILATERAL INITIATIVE AIMED AT STOPPING THE OUTFLOW FROM

VIETNAM, AND ALSO OF HONG KONG DECLARING ITS INTENTION TO REFUSE

ENTRY TO NEW ARRIVALS (IE REPROVISIONING BOATS AND SENDING THEM

ON THEIR WAY).

3. WE SHALL DISCUSS THESE IDEAS WITH LORD BELSTEAD ON 11

APRIL. OUR INTIAL VIEW IS THAT THE IDEA OF TURNING BOATS AWAY

COULD NOT BE JUSTIFIED, EITHER IN HUMANITARIAN TERMS, BECAUSE OF THE RISK TO LIFE, OR IN POLITICAL TERMS, GIVEN THE WIDESPREAD CRITICISM OF SIMILAR POLICIES PURSUED BY OTHER COUNTRIES IN THE

REGION. WE DO HOWEVER SEE MERIT IN AN APPROACH TO THE UNHCR AND TO MAJOR RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES (US, AUSTRALIA, FRANCE) ON THE FOLLOWING LINES:

(A)

TO POINT OUT THE DIFFICULTIES BEING FACED BY HONG KONG.

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CONFIDENTIAL