TNAG-1427-FCO40-1910-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-general-1986 — Page 35

335

TOP COPY

CONFIDENTIAL

1694 - 2

OCMIAN 1694

CONFIDENTIAL

DD 13010OZ HONG KONG

FM FCOLN TO HONG KONG

121145Z DEC

GRS 297

+KK 2+3/5

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

16 DEC 1985

CONFIDENTIAL

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

REGISTRY

PA

Action Taken

FM FCO

TO DESKBY 130100Z HONG KONG

TELNO 1980

OF 121145Z DECEMBER 85

333

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YOUR TELNOS 2796 AND 2797:

1.

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES:

LEGCO QUESTION

WE THINK THAT IT WOULD BE PREFERABLE TO AVOID INTRODUCING

A DISTINCTION BETWEEN VOLUNTARY AND INVOLUNTARY REPATRIATION, SINCE THE QUESTION DOES NOT DO SO. WE THEREFORE SUGGEST THE

DRAFT REPLY BE RE-WORDED AS FOLLOWS:

'REPATRIATION, WHERE FEASIBLE, IS REGARDED BY UNHCR AS THE MOST DESIRABLE SOLUTION TO REFUGEE PROBLEMS. HOWEVER THERE

HAVE BEEN VERY FEW VOLUNTEERS FROM AMONG THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN CAMPS IN HONG KONG. SINCE 1979, OUT OF THE 120,000 REFUGEES WHO HAVE COME TO HONG KONG, ONLY 22 HAVE ASKED TO RETURN TO VIETNAM. SO FAR ONLY 14 OF THESE 22 HAVE ACTUALLY RETURNED.

AND UNHCR HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR A REPLY FROM THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT SINCE 1983 ON WHETHER THEY ARE PREPARED TO ACCEPT THE

REMAINING EIGHT.

WE

THIS CAUSES US TO DOUBT WHETHER REPATRIATION ON A LARGE

SCALE IS LIKELY TO BE FEASIBLE IN THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.'

2.

IF SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTIONS ARE ASKED SPECIFICALLY ABOUT INVOLUNTARY REPATRIATION, WE AGREE THAT YOU SHOULD REPLY ON THE LINES OF PARA 3 OF YOUR TELNO 2797, BUT WITH THE LAST TWO

SENTENCES REPLACED BY THE FOLLOWING:

'TO DATE THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT, WITH WHOM HMG MAINTAIN CONTACT, HAVE CONSIDERED REPATRIATION ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS, BUT HAVE GIVEN NO INDICATION THAT THEY WOULD BE PREPARED

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