Background
1.
The ASEAN countries have proposed the convening of an
international conference, in 1989, to address the general problem of
boat people and Indo Chinese refugees in South East Asia. This is
a helpful development. HMG has said that it would attend such a
conference. It is important that it be well-prepared if the
conference is to be a success.
2.
There are now about 25,000 Vietnamese boat people in camps in Hong Kong, compared with a low of 8,000 last year. 15,500 of those are refugees awaiting resettlement. The rest consist of those who arrived after 16 June (see para 3 below) and who are either awaiting
screening or who have been screened out as non-refugees. increase has placed an enormous burden on the Hong Kong Government.
3.
The
The Hong Kong Government introduced a new policy on 16 June, involving screening to distinguish genuine political refugees from those whose motive for leaving Vietnam was simply the desire for a better standard of living. Genuine refugees will be accommodated in Hong Kong to await resettlement. The rest will be detained pending their return to Vietnam as soon as acceptable conditions for this are established. Screening procedures have been developed in close cooperation with UNHCR. The first 110 results have been announced: 102 have been screened out, 8 screened in as refugees.
4.
The Hong Kong Government and the UNHCR recently signed a Statement of Understanding. It covers all the main aspects of the treatment of Boat People in Hong Kong. It provides for a UNHCR role in the screening and appeals procedure, funding arrangements, and a liberalisation of the camps for refugees, which is now well under
way.
5.
FCO, Hong Kong Government and Vietnamese officials held a
second round of talks in London on 11-12 October. The main elements to emerge from the meeting were the following:
(a) the Vietnamese assured us
us that they were determined to stop
departures from Vietnam by boat;
ELT DENISTUTAT
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