TNAG-1424-FCO40-1907-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-general-1985 — Page 10

GR 200

UNCLASSIFIED

FM HONG KONG 03084OZ APR 85

TO ROUTINE FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 666 OF 3 APRIL

1116

TOP COPY

INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, HKGO BRUSSELS, HKGO GENEVA, HKGO NEW YORK, HKGO WASHINGTON

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES: PUBLIC OPINION IN HONG KONG.

1. WE HAVE WARNED OF THE DANGER TO CONFIDENCE OF THE FAILURE OF HMG BEING SEEN TO BE HELPING HONG KONG WITH ITS REFUGEE PROBLEM. THE FOLLOWING TRANSLATION OF AN EDITORIAL IN THE WAH KIU YAT PO APPEARED IN THE SCMP ON 18 MARCH.

2. TEXT BEGINS:

ALTHOUGH THE NUMBER OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES COMING TO HONG KONG HAS DROPPED IN RECENT YEARS, THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT HONG KONG IS RID OF THE PROBLEM.

IN THE BUDGET FOR THE COMING FINANCIAL YEAR, DOLLARS 50.8 MILLION HAS HAD TO BE SET ASIDE FOR SERVICE TO VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.

THIS FIGURE IS DOLLARS 4.9 MILLION OVER THE PREVIOUS ALLOCATION. WHAT IS WORSE, THE CHANCES OF ANY OF THESE REFUGEES EVER GETTING AWAY FROM HONG KONG ARE BECOMING SMALLER.

WE BELIEVE THE SITUATION WILL GET WORSE UNLESS POLICIES CHANGE AND IMMIGRATION QUOTAS ARE INCREASED IN WESTERN COUNTRIES.

IN THIS CONNECTION, WE FEEL BRITAIN SHOULD TAKE THE LEAD AS HONG KONG IS STILL UNDER BRITISH RULE.

ACCORDING TO AVAILABLE STATISTICS, FEWER THAN 100 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES LEFT HONG KONG FOR BRITAIN LAST YEAR.

IF BRITAIN IS SO RELUCTANT TO ALLOW THESE PEOPLE TO SETTLE IN THE UK, HOW CAN WE EXPECT OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES TO LET THEM IN.

SINCE IT IS STIPULATED IN THE JOINT SINO-BRITISH DECLARATION THAT BOTH BRITAIN AND CHINA WILL ENDEAVOUR TO MAINTAIN THE STABILITY AND PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG, THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT SHOULD DEMONSTRATE ITS DETERMINATION TO ACHIEVE THIS GOAL BY HELPING

TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS CAUSED BY VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.

TEXT ENDS.

YOUDE

་

BOAT PEOPLE

LIMITED

HKD

SEAD

UND

FED

NEWS D MAED PS

PS/LADY YOUNG PS/MR LUCE

PS/PUS

MR GOODALL

MR O'NEILL

MR WILSON

НСК

243 5

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

2835

KIRY

INDEX

T: ken

ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION

Cte

804

BOAT PEOPLE

SIR W HARDING

COPIES TO:

HONG KONG GOVT. OFFICE, LONDON