ROZAKQ
2 DEC 1988
HKD 2423
24315
RESTRICTED
FROM:
R C L Footman
Hong Kong Department
DATE:
16 December 1988
CC:
Mr Gillmore
PA
242
PS/Lord Glenarthur
Copy for ou
OM Footerham,
~
Mr McLaren
Mr Colvin, SEAD
Mr Williams, UND
29/12 Many thanks
Joket Court (PS/ hord Okeawther) 22%,
CALL ON LORD GLENARTHUR BY REPRESENTATIVES OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEE
ORGANISATION
22/12
A 1.
Representatives of three organisations representing refugees
from Vietnam in this country, and the Save the Children Fund, called
on Lord Glenarthur this morning. They were accompanied by Mr
Malcolm Rodgers of the British Refugee Council. You and I were also
present. The delegation arrived 15 minutes late, cutting the meeting to about half an hour.
2.
Lord Glenarthur said he welcomed this opportunity to discuss the difficult humanitarian problem of boat people in Hong Kong. Since
1975, Hong Kong had received over 130,000 boat people: none had ever been turned away. But the problem had deteriorated dramatically
since mid-1987. The boat people population had risen steeply from
8,000 to 25,000, with over 9,000 arrivals in the first half of 1988.
The vast majority of new arrivals were not what the international
community regarded as refugees. So the need for resettlement had
become greater, while the prospects for resettlement had become
virtually nil. Without a change of policy this situation could only
have got worse, with an increasing number of refugees facing a dismal future in Hong Kong's camps. The 16 June policy contained
two key safeguards. First, the screening process would ensure that
all who meet the internationally recognised criteria for refugees
would be accommodated in Hong Kong until they could be resettled. Second, arrangements for repatriation would only be undertaken if we
were satisfied that those who returned would be properly treated.
We had insisted on, and obtained, assurances from the Vietnamese
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