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INVOLUNTARILY WOULD BE TREATED HUMANELY.
AT PRESENT, WE DO NOT
BELIEVE THAT SUCH ASSURANCES COULD BE OBTAINED AND SO WE
MUST CONTINUE TO REGARD RESETTLEMENT AS THE ONLY WAY TO RESOLVE
HONG KONG'S REFUGEE PROBLEM.
12.
(WHAT IS UK'S ATTITUDE TO (NEXT TWO WORDS UNDERLINED) VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION?) HONG KONG HAVE RECEIVED SOME 20
APPLICATIONS BY VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG TO RETURN TO
VIETNAM. THEIR APPLICATIONS WERE PASSED TO THE VIETNAMESE
AUTHORITIES BY UNHCR, AND ABOUT 14 REFUGEES HAVE SO FAR RETURNED:
THE OTHER APPLICATIONS ARE STILL BEING CONSIDERED BY THE
VIETNAMESE.
13.
(WHAT ABOUT (REST OF SENTENCE UNDERLINED) VIETNAMESE WHO
SAIL ON FROM HONG KONG?) NO REFUGEE HAS EVER BEEN TURNED AWAY
FROM HONG KONG. WHEN REFUGEE BOATS ENTER HONG KONG WATERS THE OCCUPANTS ARE ADVISED THAT, IF THEY CHOOSE TO STAY, THEY WILL BE ACCOMMODATED IN A CLOSED CAMP. THOSE WHO OPT TO CONTINUE
MAY HAVE THEIR BOATS REPAIRED AND RE-VICTUALLED AT HONG KONG
GOVERNMENT EXPENSE. WE UNDERSTAND FROM UNHCR THAT THESE REFUGEES
OFTEN SUBSEQUENTLY LAND IN THE PHILIPPINES OR TAIWAN. IT APPEARS
THAT MANY OF THE VIETNAMESE WHO OPT TO SAIL ON FROM HONG KONG MAY
IN FACT HAVE SAILED FROM CHINA RATHER THAN VIETNAM, HAVING BEEN
RESETTLED IN CHINA IN THE LATE 1970S.
HOWE
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UND
NEWS DEPT
PS/MR RENTON
MR WILSON
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