TNAG-1426-FCO40-1909-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-general-1985 — Page 146

PP HONG KONG

REFERENCE

HERE

Fco tel 789.

CONFIDENTIAL

ANKK 243/5

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

12 JUN 1985

DESK OF FICER

INDEX

REGISTRY

vers, Taken

لوله

23702

1

!!!

GRS 300

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO 061728Z JUNE 85

TO PRIORITY HONG KONG

TELEGRAM NUMBER 789 OF 6 JUNE 1985

AND TO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA

INFO PRIORITY HANOI, WASHINGTON

MR HARTLING'S VISIT TO THE UK: 5 JUNE 1985

pa

243/5

1. THE FOLLOWING WERE THE MAIN POINTS DISCUSSED AT MR HARTLING'S

MEETING WITH MR LUCE (COPY OF FULL RECORD FOLLOWS BY BAG TO HONG

KONG AND GENEVA):

2. MR HARTLING SAID THAT THE TWO CATEGORIES OF REFUGEES IN HONG

KỌNG WHICH MOST CONCERNED HIM WERE THOSE WITH UK FAMILY LINKS AND

LONG-STAYERS. (HE DEFINED THE LATTER AS THE 5000 OR SO REFUGEES

WHO HAD ARRIVED IN HONG KONG PRIOR TO 1982). HE THOUGHT THIS

LOAD SHOULD BE SPREAD AMONG THE MAIN RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES, WITH

THE UK TAKING THE LEAD BY ACCEPTING THE FAMILY REUNION CASES AND

A PROPORTION OF THE REST (HE SUGGESTED 20 PER CENT, IE ABOUT 1000).

3. MR HARTLING OFFERED TO ASSIST IN APPROACHING OTHER

GOVERNMENTS. HE SAID HIS DEPUTY WOULD SHORTLY BE GOING TO

AUSTRALIA, AND FELDMANN TO CANADA, AND ASKED WHAT WE WOULD LIKE

THEM TO SAY TO THESE GOVERNMENTS. MR LUCE SAID THAT WE WOULD

WELCOME ANY HELP WHICH UNHCR COULD GIVE, BUT ACCEPTED THAT IT

WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO PERSUADE OTHER COUNTRIES TO ACT UNTIL HMG HAD

REACHED A DECISION ON THE SCORRI RECOMMENDATIONS. THE CRUCIAL

MOMENT WOULD BE IMMEDIATELY AFTER PUBLICATION OF OUR REPLY TO

SCORRI, WHICH WAS LIKELY TO BE IN JULY.

4.

MR HARTLING DID NOT CRITICISE CONDITIONS IN THE CLOSED CAMPS.

HOWEVER HE EXPRESSED DOUBTS AS TO THEIR EFFECTIVENESS AS A

DETERRENT. HE CITED THE EXAMPLE OF MALAYSIA, WHICH HAD HAD

CLOSED CAMPS FOR YEARS BUT CONTINUED TO ATTRACT REFUGEES.

5. MR HARTLING SAID THAT HE WAS TO BE INTERVIEWED BY THE BBC

BEFORE RETURNING TO GENEVA. TO OUR KNOWLEDGE THERE HAVE SO FAR

1

CONFIDENTIAL

22