TNAG-1540-FCO40-2104-Further-resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-i-1986 — Page 80

LB2AEW

Points to Make

CONFIDENTIAL

FCO/HOME OFFICE SEMINAR: 17/18 OCTOBER

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG

HKK 243/11

1.

Mr Waddington's trip to Hong Kong (21 28 September) seems

to have received good coverage in Hong Kong.

assessment?

Home Office

2.

We see a need for further resettlement help for Hong Kong in

view of our special responsibility for territory. Believe public

and parliamentary opinion would support a further effort. Numbers

involved need not be large but signal that we accept our

responsibilities would encourage major resettlement countries to

take more.

3.

Must stress that we are not pressing resettlement option to

exclusion of all others. We are considering actively all possible

means of resolving Vietnamese refugee problem in Hong Kong. In view

of our responsibility for Hong Kong and Our concerns about

destabilising effect of

of continuing refugee problem in SE Asia now

seeking to involve ourselves in discussions with certain other

countries and UNHCR on other possible solutions (including possible

approach to Vietnamese, which could eventually lead to repatriation

of some refugees).

4.

FCO Officials had useful informal

informal contacts with members of

"Honolulu group" in Geneva last week. Discussion covered inter alia questions of possible solution to problem of Indochinese economic

migrants. Hope to learn very soon whether UK may become part

future group discussions. But you will appreciate we cannot move

forward into multilateral discussions faster than our interlocutors

allow.

Moreover, very considerable obstacles (humanitarian concern,

Parliamentary opinion) in way of any successful approach to Vietnam.

5.

CONFIDENTIAL