TNAG-1540-FCO40-2104-Further-resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-i-1986 — Page 8

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REMAINS UNDER ACTIVE CONSIDERATION BETWEEN OURSELVES AND THE HOME

OFFICE. YOU MAY CERTAINLY ASSURE THE LEGCO MEMBERS OF

THIS.

3. AT THE SAME TIME WE ARE ALSO CONTINUING TO PURSUE OTHER

OPTIONS FOR A DURABLE SOLUTION. BUT, AS YOU KNOW, MINISTERS HAVE

NOT/NOT DECIDED, AS CHUGANI'S ARTICLE IMPLIES, TO ASK OTHER

COUNTRIES TO QUOTE PUT INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE ON VIETNAM TO TAKE

BACK REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG AND TO STOP OTHERS FROM COMING TO

THE TERRITORY UNQUOTE. WE BELIEVE MINISTERS WILL CONTINUE TO SEE

DIFFICULTIES FOR THE UK IN ANY BILATERAL APPROACH TO VIETNAM OF

THIS KIND. HENCE OUR EFFORTS TO WORK TOWARDS A MULTILATERAL

APPROACH, WHILE RECOGNISING THAT THE PROSPECTS FOR THIS ARE NOT

GOOD, GIVEN OUR AND OTHERS' LONG-STANDING CONDEMNATION OF

VIETNAM'S HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD AND HER INTERVENTION IN CAMBODIA.

OUR CONTACTS WITH OTHER COUNTRIES HAVE, AS YOU KNOW, CONCENTRATED

ON OUR DESIRE TO BECOME INVOLVED IN COLLECTIVE CONSIDERATION OF

POSSIBLE DURABLE SOLUTIONS, GIVEN THE FAILURE OF PRESENT POLICIES

- IE RESETTLEMENT IN THE WEST TO SOLVE THE REFUGEE PROBLEM IN

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SE ASIA. YOU MAY CERTAINLY TELL THE LEGCO GROUP THAT IN OUR

STUDY WITH THE HOME OFFICE OF OPTIONS FOR A DURABLE SOLUTION TO

THE REGIONAL REFUGEE PROBLEM NOTHING IS BEING RULED OUT. BUT IT

WOULD RISK AROUSING UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS IF YOU PLACED TOO

MUCH WEIGHT ON INVOLUNTARY REPATRIATION AS A SHORT-TERM SOLUTION.

4. STRICTLY FOR YOUR OWN INFORMATION, OUR EXCHANGES WITH THE

HOME OFFICE SINCE MR WADDINGTON'S VISIT TO HONG KONG HAVE

FOCUSSED ON WHETHER HMG CAN CONTINUE TO RESETTLE REFUGEES FROM

HONG KONG WITHOUT THERE FIRST BEING CLEAR INDICATIONS THAT THE

PROBLEM IS FINITE AND THAT A BETTER AND MORE DURABLE SOLUTION IS

ATTAINABLE. THE HOME SECRETARY HAS SUGGESTED THAT MR WADDINGTON

AND MR RENTON MEET TO DISCUSS FURTHER ON THIS BASIS. IN HIS

REPLY (WHICH SIR E YOUDE SAW IN DRAFT DURING HIS LAST VISIT HERE)

THE SECRETARY OF STATE REASSURED THE HOME SECRETARY THAT WE WILL

PURSUE ALL OTHER FEASIBLE SOLUTIONS IN CLOSE DIALOGUE WITH UNHCR

AND WESTERN GOVERNMENTS, BUT ALSO PRESSED THE CASE FOR A FURTHER

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