TNAG-1524-FCO40-2088-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1986 — Page 122

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1

ALSO POINT OUT THAT NO PUBLICITY WILL BE INITIATED BY HKG (ALTHOUGH IT WILL OF COURSE BECOME PUBLIC) IN AN EFFORT TO REDUCE THE RISK OF DRAWING MORE REFUGEES OUT OF VIETNAM TO HONG KONG.

3.

ON THE RASRO TRANSIT CENTRE YOU SHOULD SAY THAT HONG KONG'S AGREEMENT TO ITS ESTABLISHMENT IN HONG KONG REPRESENTS AN EFFORT TO EASE THE PROBLEMS FACED BY RASRO PARTICIPANTS, OF WHICH CANADA IS ONE, IN RESETTLING SHIP RESCUE CASES WITHIN THE 90-DAY PERIOD DEADLINE. HONG KONG HAS AGREED TO ESTABLISH THE CENTRE DESPITE THE FACT THAT BY DOING SO IT WILL, OF COURSE, HAVE TO ACCOMMODATE MORE REFUGEES THAN AT PRESENT.

4.

YOU SHOULD REITERATE OUR AND HONG KONG'S GRATITUDE TO THE CANADIANS FOR THEIR MAJOR CONTRIBUTION SO FAR TOWARDS RESOLVING HONG KONG'S REFUGEE PROBLEM, AND FOR THEIR PROMPT AND FOR THEIR INCREASED OFFTAKE FROM HONG KONG IN 1986 DESPITE A DECREASE IN THEIR TOTAL REGIONAL OFFTAKE. WE HOPE THAT HONG KONG'S DECISION TO RESETTLE A SUBSTANTIAL ADDITIONAL NUMBER OF REFUGEES FROM THE CAMPS WILL ENCOURAGE THE CANADIANS TO GIVE FAVOURABLE CONSIDERATION TO INCREASING AUSTRALIA'S OFFTAKE FURTHER (AS THEY WERE ABLE TO DO IN 1984 AND 1985).

THE FOLLOWING ARE DEFENSIVE POINTS:

5.

(A)

(B)

ARRIVALS IN UK IN THE POST-SCORRI EXERCISE: 78 AS AT END-JANUARY, THEREAFTER 40 MONTHLY EXPECTED.

HMG POSSIBILITY OF FURTHER UK OFFTAKE: TOO EARLY TO SAY. WILL DECIDE WHETHER TO ACCEPT A FURTHER LIMITED NUMBER OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG, IN ADDITION TO THE FAMILY REUNION CASES, IN THE LIGHT OF THE RESPONSE BY OTHER RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES TO HONG KONG'S NEEDS AND OF

ALL THE CIRCUMSTANCES AT THE TIME.

(C)

RECENT FALL IN THE POPULATION OF HONG KONG REFUGEE CAMPS: ALTHOUGH THE NUMBER OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG FELL BY 2449 DURING 1985 WE AND HONG KONG REMAIN SERIOUSLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SIZE OF HONG KONG'S REFUGEE PROBLEM. HONG KONG STILL HAS THE HIGHEST VIETNAMESE REFUGEE POPULATION IN THE REGION. 63 PERCENT HAVE BEEN IN HONG KONG CAMPS FOR OVER 3 YEARS. A MAJOR EFFORT IS STILL NEEDED BY ALL RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES TO RESOLVE THIS

CONTINUING PROBLEM. WE HOPE THAT THE CANADIANS WILL

HELP.

HOWE

LIMITED

HKD

NAD

SEAD

UND

COPIESTU

HKGO, LONDON

PS/MR RENTON

SIR W HARDING

DR WILSON

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