TNAG-1790-FCO40-2550-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-resettlement-in-third-countri-1988 — Page 149

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SECRET

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SECRET

FM WASHINGTON

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 1367

OF 27215OZ MAY 88

AND TO IMMEDIATE MANILA, HONG KONG

HUD 243/7

ния

56

060570

MDHIAN 1118

MANILA FOR PS/SECRETARY OF STATE

SS

FCO TELNO 905 AND HONG KONG TELNO 1355: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG

1. AS EXPECTED THE VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE ISSUE CAME UP DURING

GILLMORE'S LUNCH WITH SIGUR ON 26 MAY. GILLMORE DREW ON TURS AND REVIEWED THE WORSENING SITUATION: NOT ONLY WAS THE INFLUX OF

REFUGEES INCREASING BUT THE PROBLEM WAS BEING EXACERBATED BY THE

FALLING LEVELS OF RESETTLEMENT. THE SECRETARY OF STATE WOULD BE

VISITING HONG KONG FROM 29-31 MAY AND WOULD BE ABLE TO ASSESS THE SITUATION AT FIRST HAND, BUT IT WAS ALREADY INCREASINGLY CLEAR THAT SOMETHING WOULD HAVE TO BE DONE TO CONTROL THE INFLUX OF REFUGEES.

GILLMORE TOUCHED LIGHTLY ON THE AVAILABLE OPTIONS INCLUDING THE

POSSIBILITY OF A SCREENING PROCESS WITH THE AIM OF DISTINGUISHING

ECONOMIC FROM GENUINE REFUGEES. THERE WAS NO REACTION FROM SIGUR

TO THIS, AND NO DISCUSSION OF DETAIL.

2. SIGUR ASKED

MORE REFUGEES.

CONSTRAINTS.

INEVITABLY IF THERE WAS ANY CHANCE OF THE UK TAKING

GILLMORE REPEATED THE POLITICAL AND PRACTICAL

3. STAPLETON ROY (ASSISTANT SECRETARY ASIAN AND PACIFIC AFFAIRS) COMMENTED THAT ONE OF THE DIFFICULTIES WAS THAT THE VIETNAMESE

REFUGEE PROBLEM WAS SUCH AN OPEN-ENDED PROCESS. RESOLUTION OF THE CAMBODIAN ISSUE AND THE RETURN OF VIETNAM TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY (WHICH, IN VIEW OF RECENT ANNOUNCEMENTS, MIGHT NOW BEGIN TO BE A POSSIBILITY) WOULD REDUCE THE REFUGEE PROBLEM CONSIDERABLY. 4. HE WENT ON TO SAY THAT ONE OF THE ADMINISTRATION'S CONCERNS WAS TO PREVENT TOO MUCH ATTENTION BEING FOCUSSED ON HONG KONG ISSUES ON THE HILL. THERE WERE ONE OR TWO SIGNS OF INCREASING INTEREST IN THE BASIC LAW DEBATE AND IN QUESTIONS CONCERNING CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS GENERALLY. THESE WERE ONLY SMALL RUMBLINGS AND THE ADMINISTRATION WERE CONFIDENT THEY COULD BE CONTAINED. BUT IF THE REFUGEE ISSUE ATTRACTED ATTENTION ON THE HILL, THE DEBATE MIGHT WIDEN AND THE ADMINISTRATION COULD FIND ITSELF IN A SLIGHTLY MORE DIFFICULT POSITION.

ACLAND

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