TNAG-1792-FCO40-2552-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 11

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CONFIDENTIAL

This is,

Most of the

The

5. An obvious objection to the proposed change is that, until the Vietnamese can be induced to accept repatriation (and there is no sign of this at the moment), those screened out, who will have no access to resettlement opportunities, will form a permanent prison population in Hong Kong. Governor of Hong Kong is aware of this risk. however, in effect already the position. 10,000 "refugees" now in closed camps in Hong Kong are not real refugees and have no hope of resettlement; the only difference under the new policy would be that they would be so defined. The gain expected is that the new screening policy would have at least a deterrent effect, and that the rate of arrivals would be reduced.

6. I expect the issue of boat people to dominate my visit

I will have discussions to Hong Kong from 29 to 31 May. with the Governor and members of ExCo and LegCo about the crisis and will have an opportunity to assess the problem at first hand. It raises a number of difficult issues, legal, political and practical, which will need to be very carefully considered. However I am inclined to think that the present policy is intolerable for Hong Kong and has

change.

to

7. On my return I will need to consult you and our colleagues urgently about whether we should authorise the Hong Kong Government to introduce a new policy along the lines I have described. We would need to consider the diplomatic action necessary to give the policy the best chance of succeeding. We shall also undoubtedly face strong pressure for the United Kingdom to make a new resettlement commitment, to take the lead in a campaign encouraging the major resettlement countries to make a once and for all effort to reduce Hong Kong's problem to manageable proportions.

CONFIDENTIAL

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