CONFIDENTIAL
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MDHIAN 2916
TREATED AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS.
5. MR HO SAI-CHU STRESSED THAT DOUBLE STANDARDS IN THE TREATMENT OF ARRIVALS FROM CHINA AND VIETNAM HAD CREATED INCREASING AGGRAVATION AMONG THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. DR HO KAM-FAI ADDED THAT ONE OF THE OBVIOUS SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEM WAS REPATRIATION. HE HOPED THE SECRETARY OF STATE COULD LIAISE WITH VIETNAM, VIA UNHCR IF NECESSARY, WITH A VIEW TO SECURING EARLY REPATRIATION OF THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.
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6. MR JACKIE CHAN SAID THAT HE HAD ATTENDED A SEMINAR ON ''FIRST ASYLUM FOR VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: A REGIONAL RESPONSE TO POLICY DEVELOPMENT AND CO-ORDINATION OF SERVICES'' IN THAILAND. THE SEMINAR CONCLUDED THAT THE POLICY OF FIRST ASYLUM SHOULD BE REVIEWED AND THAT THERE SHOULD BE A DISTINCTION IN TREATMENT BETWEEN BONA FIDE REFUGEES AND ECONOMIC MIGRANTS.
7. MR HUI YIN-FAT DREW THE ATTENTION OF SECRETARY OF STATE TO THE STATEMENT MADE BY LORD GLENARTHUR IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS ON 23 MAY 1988 THAT THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEES WOULD RETAIN THE CURRENT STATUS AFTER 1997 AND THAT IT WAS STATED IN THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT DECLAR- ATION THAT THE SOCIAL AND LEGAL STATUS OF THE PEOPLE LIVING IN HONG KONG SHOULD REMAIN UNCHANGED. HE WONDERED IF THIS IMPLIED THAT HONG KONG SHOULD BE GIVEN DICRETION TO DEAL WITH THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEE
PROBLEM.
8. THE SECRETARY OF STATE SAID IN REPLY TO THE ABOVE POINTS THAT HE REALIZED THE EXISTENCE OF THE DOUBLE STANDARDS AND THE BURDEN IMPOSED BY THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEE PROBLEM ON HONG KONG WAS BECOMING INTOLERABLE. HE APPRECIATED THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE PROBLEM AND THAT HONG KONG COULD NOT GO ON OFFERING ITSELF AS A TRANSIT POINT. HE AGREED TO TAKE BACK THE VARIOUS OPTIONS FOR DISCUSSION WITH THE UK GOVERNMENT. HOWEVER, HE STRESSED THAT THE RISKS AND IMPLICATIONS OF THESE OPTIONS HAD TO BE CAREFULLY CONSIDERED.
COMPLAINTS AGAINST UK IMMIGRATION OFFICERS
9. DR HO KAM-FAI SAID THAT OMELCO HAD RECENTLY RECEIVED COMPLAINTS FROM SOME HONG KONG RESIDENTS TRAVELLING TO UK THAT THEY HAD BEEN REFUSED ENTRY TO BRITAIN UNREASONABLY AND THAT THEY HAD BEEN SUBJECTED TO UNFRIENDLY TREATMENT BY UK IMMIGRATION OFFICERS. THE INCIDENTS HAD AROUSED HONG KONG PEOPLE'S CONCERN OVER THE VALIDITY AND USEFULNESS OF THE BDTC AND BN (0) PASSPORTS. HE ADDED THAT CASES OF THIS NATURE COULD EASILY BE PERCEIVED BY PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AS
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