TNAG-1427-FCO40-1910-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-general-1986 — Page 37

CONFIDENTIAL

GRS 250

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO DESKBY 11100OZ FCO

TELNO 2797

OF 1109OOZ DECEMBER 85

(333) MIPT: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES: LECCO QUESTION.

?

NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE VIETNAMESE

پیار یاد

pa

alke

24315

334

GOVERNMENT ON VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION ARE UNDERTAKEN BY THE UNITED

NATIONS HIGH COMMISSION FOR REFUGEES.

2. AN ESSENTIAL INGREDIENT FOR VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION IS VOLUNTEEPS. SINCE 1979, OUT OF THE 120,000 REFUGEES WHO HAVE COME TO HONG KONG ONLY 22 HAVE ASKED TO RETURN TO VIETNAM. ONLY 14 OF THESE 22 HAVE

ACTUALLY BEEN PETURNED. WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR A REPLY FROM THE

VIETNAM GOVERNMENT SINCE 1983 ON WHETHER THEY ARE PREPARED TO ACCEPT

THE REMAINING EIGHT. MEANWHILE THE UNHCR IS KEEPING UP THE PRESSURE.

3. AS REGARDS INVOLUNTARY REPATRIATION, AS STATED BY THE SECPETARY

FOR SECURITY IN THIS COUNCIL ON 6 FEBRUARY 1935, IF THOSE ARRIVING

HERE WERE JUDGED TO BE ILLEGAL TRAVELLERS RATHER THAN GENUINE REFUGEES, THEN THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WOULD CONSIDER IT A VIABLE OPTION TO RETURN THEM TO VEITNAM PROVIDED THAT THE GOVERNMENT OF

VIETNAM WOULD ACCEPT THEM AND PROVIDED THAT WE COULD BE SATISFIED

THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE TREATED INHUMAMELY ON THEIR RETURN. NEGOTIA-

TIONS WITH THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT ON THESE PROVISOS WOULD BE A MATTER FOR HMG. HMG'S VIEW AT THE PRESENT TIME IS THAT RELATIONS

WITH VIETNAM HAVE NOT YET REACHED A POINT AT WHICH IT WOULD BE

APPROPRIATE TO EMBARK ON DISCUSSIONS WITH THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT

TO THIS END.

YOUDE

BOAT PEOPLE

LIMITED

SEAD

HKD

UND

FED

NEWS D

MAED

ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION

BOAT PEOPLE 1

P8

PS/MR RENTON PS/PUS

MR GOODALL

SIR W HARDING

MR O'NEILL MR WILSON

CONFIDENTIAL

LKK 243/5

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY 13 DEC 1985

DESK OF FICTE

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