TNAG-1534-FCO40-2098-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation-1986 — Page 20

CONFIDENTIAL

(h)

(i)

(ii)

Singapore began its policy of refusing entry to all except ship rescue cases in 1979. In the process of towing at least one small boat towards Malaysia, the occupants were drowned.

This proved a most! effective

of deterring any thinking subsequently of heading for Singapore.

means

My recollection is that the

the Thais coined the phrase "closed camps" in 1981, to describe those Thai camps to which UNHCR and resettlement agencies had no

access.

(iii) The Chinese authorities along the Chinese coast between Vietnam and Hong Kong have been redirecting newly arrived boats eastwards since about 1980.

(iv)

(v)

The Macanese have since mid-1982 turned away all refugee boats and have towed them towards Hong Kong.

Several places in the region have occasionally towed boats out to sea (pour décourager

and les autres) senior UNHCR officials have alleged to me that in other

conditions have camps

from time to time (particularly in 1979-81) been allowed

to

deteriorate in

effort deliberate

deterrence.

a

further

at

In para 6, fifth sentence to avoid confusion "screening" should perhaps read "selection". It may be worth adding that places of asylum share the perception of resettlement countries (eg Hong Kong Immigration conducts its Own periodic camp surveys which indicate that roughly 80% of

leave arrivals

Vietnam

mainly either partly or "economic" reasons).

new

(i)

In

para

for

the

of aware

likely (in

7 second sentence we need to be implications of such а request:

are which Vietnamese eyes) to be that we would like tougher punishments

be imposed on those

escape.

to

caught trying

to

(j)

Para

(k)

7

third

sentence might include

Kampuchean conflict, since a sizeable

to the reference minority of Hong

Kong's new arrivals are seeking to evade conscription.

Para 7 last sentence I am not sure that this judgement is valid.

indefinite

in Arguably

detention

closed a

camp without realistic prospect of resettlement (eg Hong Kong 1983-85) does provide such a counterbalance. Whether this is at all humane or not, I cannot judge. Either detention with eventual

of prospect

resettlement 1986),

open accommodation without such Kong 1980-82) plainly do not deter.

or

in

(Hong Kong prospect (Hong

CONFIDENTIAL