TNAG-1419-FCO40-1902-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1985 — Page 202

CONFIDENTIAL

}

3869 - 1

TO PERSUADE OTHER COUNTRIES TO INCLUDE LONG-STAYERS AMONG THE

NUMBERS THEY ACCEPT.

BEGIN UNDERLINING.

RECOMMENDATION 6: THE FCO SHOULD MAKE

RESOLUTION OF HONG KONG'S VIETNAMESE REFUGEE PROBLEM A MAJOR

PRIORITY IN ITS DEALINGS WITH FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS. CEASE

UNDERLINING.

1. AS THE COMMITTEE HAVE ALREADY BEEN ASSURED, THE FCO WILL

ACCORD A HIGH PRIORITY TO FINDING A SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM. IT

IS PREPARED TO DEVOTE GREAT EFFORT TO ITS DIPLOMATIC OFFENSIVE TO

PERSUADE OTHER COUNTRIES TO ACCEPT FOR RESETTLEMENT MORE

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG, AND THUS TO MAXIMISE THE

EFFECT OF HMG'S OWN COMMITMENT. AS MR LUCE TOLD THE

SUB-COMMITTEE, THE OBJECTIVE OF THE FCO MUST BE TO TRY TO OBTAIN

A DURABLE SOLUTION AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. IT IS TO BE HOPED THAT

THE REFUGEE PROBLEM IN HONG KONG WILL BE SOLVED WELL BEFORE 1997.

THE NEED FOR URGENT ACTION IS UNDERLINED BY THE INCREASINGLY LONG

PERIODS THAT THE REFUGEES ARE HAVING TO SPEND IN THE CAMPS.

BESIDES THE HOPELESSNESS AND FRUSTRATION THAT THIS ENGENDERS

AMONG THE REFUGEES THEMSELVES, WE RECOGNISE THAT IT MAY ALSO

INCREASE THEIR PROBLEMS OF INTEGRATION WHEN THEY ARE EVENTUALLY

RESETTLED. MOREOVER, AS THE FCO'S MEMORANDUM OF EVIDENCE TO THE

COMMITTEE EXPLAINED (EV., P129), THE CHINESE POPULATION IN

HONG KONG IS INCREASINGLY RESENTFUL OF THE SPECIAL TREATMENT

ACCORDED TO VIETNAMESE REFUGEES. FOR THESE REASONS HMG ARE

DETERMINED TO TAKE SWIFT STEPS TO ATTEMPT TO PERSUADE OTHER

COUNTRIES TO ACCEPT FURTHER REFUGEES.

YOUNG

YYYY

OCMIAN 3869

3

CONFIDENTIAL