TNAG-1791-FCO40-2551-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 248

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FM LON COREU

TO BON COREU ROUTINE

INFO ALL COREU ROUTINE

CPE/LON 68

10.02.1988: 1115Z HRS

HUD 243/8

* FEB 1988

-

21

U57736

MDLOAN 1894

ANG

DIFFUSION RESTREINIE

ASIA WORKING GROU 17-18 FEBRUARY

REF CPE/LON 59

2.

1. THE UNITED KINGDOM'S WISH TO DISCUSS THE PROBLEM OF REFUGEES

IN SOUTH EAST ASIA HAS BEEN REINFORED BY RECENT REPORTS FROM

BANGKOK OF A NEW HARD LINE BEING ADOPTED BY THE THAI AUTHORITIES.

THE BRITISH EMBASSY IN BANGKOK HAS BEEN TOLD BY THE THAI

INTERIOR MINISTRY THAT LOCAL OFFICIALS HAVE BEEN ORDERED TO

ESCORT BOATS CARRYING VIETNAMESE REFUGEES OUT OF THAI WATERS, AND THAT THAILAND INTENDS TO INTRODUCE SIMILAR MEASURES TO SEND LAO

A SY LUM SEEKERS BACK ACROSS THE MEKONG.

3.

11,195 VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE ARRIVED IN THAILAND IN 1987, THE HIGHEST RATE SINCE 1981. THIS SEEMS TO HAVE PROMPTED THE

CHANGE OF POLICY. OTHER COUNTRIES IN THE REGION ARE ALSO

SUFFERING FROM INCREASED INFLUXES. 3395 BOAT PEOPLE ARRIVED IN

HONG KONG IN 1987 THE HIGHEST TOTAL FOR FIVE YEARS, AND A FURTHER 358 IN JANUARY 1988 ALONE. INCREASINGLY NEW ARRIVALS ARE

CONSIDERED ECONOMIC MIGRANTS AND NOT THEREFORE CONSIDERED

ELIGIBLE FOR RESETTLEMENT BY THE MAIN RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES.

4.

THE UNITED KINGDOM BELIEVES (A) THAT AN INTERNATIONAL EFFORT

IS REQUIRED TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM, IDEALLY BY PERSUADING THE

VIETNAMESE TO ACCEPT THE RETURN OF THOSE BOAT PEOPLE WHO CLEARLY

DO NOT FULFIL REFUGEE CRITERIA AND (B) THAT RESETTLEMENT

COUNTRIES SHOULD CONSIDER WHETHER THERE IS SCOPE FOR NEW

RESETTLEMENT COMMITMENTS, PARTICULARLY FOR COUNTRIES WHERE THE PROBLEM IS MOST ACUTE. IT WOULD THEREFORE WELCOME AN EXCHANGE OF

VIEWS WITH PARTNERS ON THIS ISSUE.

COREU LON

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