TNAG-1544-FCO40-2108-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-Intergovernmental-Consultativ-1987 — Page 69

OCMIAN 9444

CONFIDENTIAL

PP WASHI

PP OTTAW

FM FCOLN TO WASHI

011500Z SEP.

GRS 1020

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RECEIVERS

EGISTRY

26 SEP 1986

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FM FCO

TO PRIORITY WASHINGTON

TELNO 1530

OF 011500Z SEPTEMBER 86

AND TO PRIORITY OTTAWA, CANBERRA, TOKYO

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, UKMIS GENEVA

INFO ROUTINE BANGKOK, HANOI, KUALA LUMPUR

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG

59444 1

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1.

IN THE LIGHT BOTH OF OUR RESPONSIBILITY FOR HONG KONG AND

OF THE CONTINUING INFLOW OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES INTO THE TERRITORY,

WE HAVE BEEN REVIEWING OUR POSITION ON THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEE

PROBLEM. WE ARE PARTICULARLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE RELUCTANCE THAT

SOME OF THE MAIN RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES ARE NOW SHOWING TO ACCEPT REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG WHOM THEY CONSIDER TO HAVE LEFT VIETNAM FOR

ECONOMIC RATHER THAN POLITICAL REASONS: AND ALSO ABOUT THE

IMPLICATIONS FOR HONG KONG OF A PROBABLE DECLINE IN THE RATE OF

RESETTLEMENT IN CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE THE FLOW OF NEW ARRIVALS IN

HONG KONG FROM VIETNAM IS CONTINUING.

2.

MINISTERS HAVE THEREFORE AGREED THAT WE SHOULD

BEGIN CONSULTATIONS WITH RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES, FIRST ASYLUM

COUNTRIES, AND UNHCR ON THE CONTINUING OUTFLOW FROM INDOCHINA, INCLUDING CONSIDERATION OF THE LONG TERM PROBLEM OF QUOTE

ECONOMIC MIGRANTS UNQUOTE FROM INDOCHINA. TO THIS END, MINISTERS

HAVE AGREED THAT AS A FIRST STAGE WE SHOULD SEEK TO INVOLVE

1

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