CONFIDENTIAL
11058
1
(V)
5.
EFFORTS OF RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES.
ALTHOUGH HONG KONG
HAS THE GREATEST NUMBER OF VIETNAMESE IN THE SOUTH EAST
ASIAN REGION, RESETTLEMENT FROM THE TERRITORY IN 1984 WAS
CONSIDERABLY LESS THAN FROM OTHER COUNTRIES (3694
COMPARED WITH 10460 (MALAYSIA), 6901 (INDONESIA) AND 6659
(THAILAND). INEVITABLE RESULT IS A FAR LONGER STAY IN
HONG KONG'S TEMPORARY TRANSIT CENTRES. THIS MUST BE
UNDESIRABLE IN TERMS OF POTENTIAL LONG TERM EFFECT ON
REFUGEES: INCREASED RISKS OF ULTIMATE DISORDER IN THE
CAMPS ALSO MATTER OF SERIOUS CONCERN FOR HMG.
WE HOPE THAT YOUR GOVERNMENT WILL RESPOND TO INITATIVE BY
TAKING FROM HONG KONG WHATEVER ADDITIONAL NUMBERS YOU CAN
MANAGE. (FOR EC POSTS: HOPE THAT EC COUNTRIES WILL MAKE
SPECIAL EFFORT TO HELP HONG KONG, WOULD BE WELCOME TANGIBLE
EXPRESSION OF POLICICAL CO-OPERATION) ALSO APPROACHING OTHER
RESETTEMENT
COUNTRIES. HAVE ASKED UNHCR TO ASSIST BY MAKING PARALLEL
APPROACHES. UK CANNOT SOLVE PROBLEM ON ITS OWN. BUT
DEPENDING ON THE RESPONSE BY OTHER. COUNTRIES, WE WOULD
OURSELVES CONSIDER ACCEPTING FURTHER LIMITED NUMBERS FROM
HONG KONG IN ADDITION TO THE FAMILY REUNION CASES. HONG
KONG WOULD SIMILARLY BE PREPARED TO CONSIDER ACCEPTING
FOR RESETTLEMENT IN HONG KONG A LIMITED NUMBER OF ETHNIC
CHINESE FROM THE CAMPS IF THIS FORMED PART OF A PACKAGE
AIRMED AT
REDUCING DRASTICALLY THE SIZE OF HONG KONG'S VIETNAMESE
REFUGEE POPULATION AND RESETTLING ALL THOSE WHOSE STAY IN
HONG KONG HAS BEEN PROLONGED.
WE SHALL ALSO BE RECOMMENDING TO MINISTERS AND SENIOR
OFFICIALS
TO RAISE THE SUBJECTS AS OPPORTUNITIES ARISE AT MEETINGS WITH
WEST EUROPEAN GOVERNMENTS IN THE COMING WEEKS. THE FOLLOWING
MEETINGS ARE THE MOST IMMINENT: LADY YOUNG'S AND THE PUS'S
MEETINGS WITH MR BRUNNER, STATE SECRETARY, SWISS FOREIGN MINISTRY
(24 SEPTEMBER): THE PUS'S MEETING WITH M. ROSS, SECRETARY GENERAL
OF FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTRY (30 SEPTEMBER): THE SECRETARY OF
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