(E)
(F)
2.
RESTRICTED
WHAT CONTINGENCY ARRANGEMENTS HAVE
BEEN MADE WITH THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT IN RESPECT OF VIETNAMESE STILL IN REFUGEE CAMPS AT THE TIME OF TRANSFER OF SOVEREIGNTY IN 1997: AND IF HE WILL MAKE A STATEMENT.
WHAT INFORMATION HE HAS ABOUT
STATEMENTS MADE BY THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT ABOUT THE STATUS OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG AFTER 1997: AND HOW MANY SUCH REFUGEES ARE EXPECTED STILL TO BE IN
CAMPS AT THAT DATE.
WE PROPOSE TO REPLY AS FOLLOWS, AND SHOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD SUPPLY THE LATEST FIGURES WHERE INDICATED IN ANSWERS
(B) AND (C):
(A)
(B)
WE HAVE
WE HAVE APPROACHED OVER 20 COUNTRIES IN AN EFFORT TO INCREASE RESETTLEMENT FROM THE HONG KONG CAMPS. BEEN ADVISED THAT AUSTRALIA WILL ACCEPT 200 MORE REFUGEES, CANADA 50, AND NEW ZEALAND 10. MOST OTHER COUNTRIES ARE STILL CONSIDERING THEIR RESPONSES AND WE REMAIN IN CLOSE TOUCH WITH THEM ON THESE.
(XX) VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN CLOSED CAMPS CLAIM TO HAVE SPOUSES IN OPEN CAMPS. WHERE THOSE IN THE OPEN CENTRES APPLY, THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WILL PERMIT THEM TO JOIN THEIR SPOUSES IN A CLOSED CENTRE. (XX) SUCH APPLLICATIONS HAVE BEEN APPROVED AND (XX) ARE PENDING.
ON (XX) FEBRUARY (XX) REFUGEES WERE IN CLOSED CAMPS AND (XX) IN OPEN CAMPS.
(C)
(D)
HMG AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT REMA IN IN CLOSE TOUCH ON THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEES PROBLEM IN HONG KONG. THE NEED FOR THE CLOSED CAMO OOLICV IS KEOT UNDER
CONSTANT REVIEW.
(E)
(F)
3.
140900Z.
NONE.
IT IS OUR FIRM INTENTION THAT THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEE OROBLEM IN HONG KONG SHOULD BE RESOLVED WELL BEFORE 1997. IN ANY EVENT. THE JOINT DECLARATION ON THE FUTURE OF HONN KONO OROVIDES FOR THE CONTINUATION AFTER 30 JUNE 1997 OF HONO KONG'S ORESENT SOCIAL AND LEGAL SYSTEMS AND SO ANY REFUGEES THEN IN HONG KONG WOULD
RETAIN THEIR CURRENT STATUS.
I HAVE NO INFORMATION ABOUT ANY SUCH STATEMENT BY THE
CHINA HAS GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOOLE'S REQUBLIC OF CHINA. PROVIDED PERMANENT ASYLUM FOR SOME 265.000 REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM. THIS IS AN ADMIRABLE RECORD. IT IS OUR FIRM INTENTION THAT NO REFUGEES REMAIN IN HONG KONG IN 1997. GRATEFUL FOR ANY COMMENTS AND RELEVANT STATISTICS DESKBY
HOWE
LIMITED
SEAD
опод
COPLESTO
HICGO LONDON
DR Dis
-2-
RESTRICTED
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