TNAG-1423-FCO40-1906-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-general-1985 — Page 76

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

Mr. Walke

I think we're due all (tr)?

CONFIDENTIAL

ра

paza

243/5

(47

av.

yes

Mr Galsworthy HKD

m

Date: 15 February 1985

From: J D N Hartland-Swann

South East Asian Department

cc: Mr Burrows, Legal Advisers

Calready para

covered

роза

'17):

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG: POLICY PAPER

1.4

Thank you for showing us your redraft of the Policy Paper.

I have the following comments/amendments.

2:

Para 9 line 9. Our understanding is that the trend is now in he other direction, ie that the proportion of Southerners arriving in Hong Kong is now on the increase.

3.

Para 16 last sentence.

Suggest adding the following after "from

XChina": "although it would involve us in breaching the understandings

reached during the 1979 Geneva Conference".

A. Para 17 line 4. Suggest following wording: "Since Hong Kong has no land boundary with Vietnam and aircraft..

/physical difficulty.....

11

Line 5. Suggest rewording: ".....there could be considerable

11

Line 8. Suggest new wording: ....within UNHCR and politically impossible for us unless the Vietnamese Government....."

Discussed, Burrows, ording with him

with thr agreed

& SEAD,

Suggest inclusion in para 17 of following sentence: "Involuntary repatriation would put is in breach of Article 7 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, although we would have a reasonable defence against criticisms if credible assurances from the Vietnamese Government were forthcoming". Mr Burrows agrees.

5

they

Para 23(a) line 3. Suggest insert after "..refugee problems": We agree".

Line 9. Suggest insert after "and who left Vietnam,": "although they were prepared to consider applications on a case-by-case basis".

6.

Para 23(b) line 10. After "being repatriated daily". Insert: There is always the danger that further absorption by Hong Kong would trigger more departures from Vietnam".

CONFIDENTIAL

HKCK 243 Is

/7

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

20 FEE 1953

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SH

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