TNAG-1791-FCO40-2551-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 12

CONFIDENTIAL

TOP COPY Q DIST ?

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO DESKBY 25130OZ FCO

TELNO 1539

OF 251045Z APRIL 88

INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA

HKD 243/8

03

127551

MDHIAN 6986

VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG

1.

AS YOU KNOW FROM SEPARATE TELEGRAMS WE HAVE BEEN REVIEWING OUR POLICY ON VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG. THIS TELEGRAM SETS OUT THE GENERAL NATURE OF THE PROBLEM AND OUR PRESENT THINKING ON THE WAY AHEAD.

2. SO FAR THIS YEAR A TOTAL OF OVER 1,500 VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE HAVE ARRIVED IN HONG KONG. DURING THE EQUIVALENT PERIOD LAST YEAR ARRIVALS TOTALLED JUST OVER 450. THIS IS NEARLY A 4-FOLD INCREASE,

IN WHAT IS NORMALLY THE QUIET SEASON.

3.

WE NOW HAVE A TOTAL OF 10,500 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG. OF THESE 7,700 ARE IN OUR THREE CLOSED CAMPS WHICH ARE ALMOST AT BURSTING POINT. THE TOTAL NUMBER OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG THIS TIME LAST YEAR WAS 7,800 THE INCREASE IS 35 PER CENT.

4. BOTH THE UNUSUAL NUMBER OF ARRIVALS SO FAR THIS YEAR, AT A TIME WHEN THE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE UNFAVOURABLE, AND REPORTS OF CONTINUING ECONOMIC PROBLEMS AND FOOD SHORTAGES IN VIETNAM, SUGGEST THAT WE COULD BE IN FOR A VERY SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN ARRIVALS LATER IN THE YEAR WHEN THE WINDS ARE MORE FAVOURABLE TO REACHING HONG KONG. THIS WILL BE EVEN MORE THE CASE IF THAILAND MAINTAINS, AND MALAYSIA INTRODUCES, A TOUGHER POLICY TOWARDS ARRIVALS.

5.

ARRIVALS DURING THE PAST YEAR HAVE ALMOST ALL BEEN ETHNIC VIETNAMESE (99 PER CENT). MOST ARE FROM THE NORTH AND CENTRAL REGIONS OF VIETNAM. DURING THE PAST FEW WEEKS HOWEVER WE HAVE HAD A FEW ARRIVALS FROM THE SOUTH, INCLUDING ONE INDIVIDUAL FROM A BOAT PUSHED OFF FROM THAILAND.

6.

RESETTLEMENT HAS CONTINUED TO DECLINE. DURING THE 12 MONTHS ENDING 31 MARCH 2,300 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES WERE RESETTLED FROM HONG KONG. THIS COMPARES WITH 3,450 FOR THE PREVIOUS 12 MONTH PERIOD:

A DECLINE OF 33 PER CENT. RESETTLEMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN THE UNITED

STATES HAVE DECLINED DRAMATICALLY. THE AMERICANS SAY THAT MOST OF

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CONFIDENTIAL