TNAG-1524-FCO40-2088-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1986 — Page 87

GRS 620

UNCLASSIFED

FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 500

OF 170745Z FEBRUARY 86

TOP COPY

AND TO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA, HKGO BRUSSELS, HKGO GENEVA

AND TO PRIORITY HKGO WASHINGTON, HKGO NEW YORK

AND TO PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON

INFO PRIORITY WASHINGTON, CANBERRA, OTTAWA, TOKYO

HKGO BRUSSELS FOR MIGEL FRENCH

HKGO GENEVA FOR ANTOHONY WOO

MKK 243/.

RECEIVED IN REG.STRY

17 FEB 1986

DESK

INDEX

"EGISTRY

ction Taken

HKGO WASHINGTON FOR BILL DORWARD

HKGO NEW YORK FOR PETER LO

(81

HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON FOR BEN TANG

YOUR TELNOS 70, 117, 256, 62, 75 AND : VIETNAMESE REFUGEES RESETTLEMENT IN HONG KONG AND RASRO TRANSIT CENTRE.

WE ARE GRETEFUL FOR THE INITIATIVE IN YOUR TURS ON OUR PEHALF.

WE HAVE INFORMED THE UNHCR HERE AND THE AMERICANS INFORMALLY ABOUT

OUR DECISION TO ACCEPT ETHNIC CHINESE REFUGEES AND TO ESTABLISH

A RASRO TRANSIT CENTRE. WE HAVE ALSO WRITTEN TO THE UNHCR AND TO

ALL OF THE LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES OF THE RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES. WE

HAVE THE FOLLOWING ADDITIONAL POINTS WHICH YOU MAY WISH TO TAKE UP

WITH CERTAIN POSTS.

2. THE DECLINE IN HONG KONG'S REFUGEE POPULATION IN 1985 CAN BE

SEEN AS THE PRODUCT OF OUR OWN EFFORTS. ALTHOUGH RESETTLEMENT LAS

YEAR WAS ONLY SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN 1984, THE RATE OF ARRIVALS

DROPPED BY HALF. THIS COMBINATION RESULTED IN A SIGNIFICANT NET

REDUCTION IN OUR REFUGEE POPULATION AND IS ATTRIBUTABLE TO HONG

KONG'S CLOSED CENTRE POLICY. THE DECISION TO ACCEPT 20 ETHNIC

CHINESE REFUGEES FOR RESETTLEMENT EACH MONTH IS A FURTHER EXAMPLE

OF HONG KONG ATTEMPTING TO HELP ITSELF AND NOT (NOT) RELYING ENTIRELY ON OTHERS. BUT WE CANNOT BE ASKED TO BEAR THE ENTIRE BURDEN ALONE.

3. AMERICA: THE AMERICANS HAVE TOLD US PRIVATELY (PLEASE PROTECT)

THAT THEY WILL RUN OUT OF ELIGIBLE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG AT THE END

OF THIS YEAR. THEREFORE, APPROACHES TO THE AMERICANS SHOULD, WE

SUGGEST, CONCENTRATE MORE ON THEIR RESETTLEMENT CRITERIA THAN ON

>

CRITERIA WOULD BE MORE HELPFUL THAN EXTRA NUMBERS.

4. SOME OF THE AMERICAN CRITERIA ARE ADMINISTRATIVE AND MIGHT BE ALTERED WITH LITTLE TROUBLE. WE INTEND TO DISCUSS THIS FURTHER WITH

THE AMERICANS HERE.

5).