GR 223
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
Mishtown
3
with SEAD,
We cd. upe
{
ما هستند
yo
PM.
FM HONG KONG 260854Z JAN 83
TO PRIORITY BANGKOK
TELEGRAM NUMBER 8 OF 26 JANUARY
INFO F C O, HANOI, HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES : POSSIBLE REPATRIATION
LIKK 384/5
RECEIVEN IN RETIAMPY NO. 51 3 1 JAN 1983
WE UNDERSTAND YOU HAVE HAD PRESS ENQUIRIES ABOUT GOVERNMEN STATEMENTS HERE ON POSSIBLE REPATRIATION OF VIETNAMESE MUGEES AND NEED A LINE TO TAKE.
HAVE SAID THEY
NO
2. WE SUGGEST QUOTE : HONG KONG/WILL HAVE TO CONSIDER COMPULSORY REPATRIATION OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IF RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES FAIL TO ACCEPT MORE OF THE 13,000 BOAT PEOPLE ALREADY HERE. THIS IS HOWEVER ONLY A LONG TERM POSSIBILITY AND COULD BE DONE ONLY WITH THE CO-OPERATION OF THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES. ONLY 9247 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES WERE RESETTLED FROM HONG KONG LAST YEAR COMPARED WITH 34,468 IN 1980. HONG KONG HAS ALREADY ABSORBED 14,000 REFUGEES AND CANNOT REASONABLY BE EXPECTED TO TAKE ANY MORE. THE CHARACTER OF VIETNAMESE ARRIVING IN HONG KONG HAS CHANGED FROM 90% ETHNIC CHINESE IN 1979 TO MORE THAN 90% ETHNIC VIETNAMESE, WHOSE MOTIVE WAS TO BETTER THEMSELVES ECONOMICALLY IN 1982.
3. FOR BACKGROUND ONLY, IN ADDITION TO THE ABOVE, THE VIETNAMESE FOREIGN MINISTER TOLD THE LAST AMBASSADOR IN HANOI THAT HE WAS AWARE OF HONG KONG'S DIFFICULTIES OVER REFUGEES AND WOULD BE WILLING TO DISCUSS THEM WITH BRITISH/HK AUTHORITIES. SINCE THERE ARE NO INDICATIONS THAT THE CLOSED CAMPS ARE A DETERRENT AND THE RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES HAVE CUT BACK DRASTICALLY ON THEIR QUOTAS WE WISH TO DISCUSS REPATRIATION WITH THE VIETNAMESE. FCO IS NOW CONSIDERING THIS.
HADDON-CAVE
P&
26/1
SPISTRY
on Takom
}
· BOAT PEOPLE
LIMITED
SEAD HK & GD
UND
FED
PUSD
NEWS D MAED
PS
PS/LORD BELSTEAD PS/PUS
MR WRIGHT
MR GIFFARD MR DONALD MR ADAMS MR URE
ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION
BOAT PEOPLE
COPIES TO:
11
MR SIDDLE LEGAL ADVISER MISS WILMSHURST 11 H K GOVERNMENT OFFICE
CONFIDENTIAL
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.