TNAG-1788-FCO40-2548-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-general-1988 — Page 68

Background

CONFIDENTIAL

1.

There are now about 25,000 Vietnamese boat people in Hong Kong, compared with a low of less than 8,000 last year. This year 17,500

have arrived. On 16 June a new policy was introduced, under which arrivals were screened to establish whether they met the established criteria to be considered as political refugees. 9,500 boat people

have arrived since that date. However arrivals have now dwindled to

a trickle, with only 22 in the month since 13 September. Some decrease is normal in the autumn, but this low number is exceptional

and indicates that the Vietnamese may have taken measures to stem

the outflow.

2.

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 that they were determined to stop

departures from Vietnam by boat;

(b) the two sides agreed on the need for comprehensive arrangements

for all arrivals who, under Hong Kong's new policy, do not

qualify as refugees for resettlement;

(c)

(d)

the two sides agreed to make an early start with the return of

those (now over 350) who have already asked to go back to

Vietnam;

the two sides agreed that UNHCR was the appropriate agency to

arrange a humanitarian repatriation programme, which would

include modest reintegration assistance;

(e) we confirmed that we were ready in principle to contribute to

such a programme through UNHCR.

CONFIDENTIAL