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INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG
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167533 MDHOAN 5450
MIPT: CALL ON MCLAREN BY VIETNAMESE AMBASSADOR:
SPEAKING NOTE
1.
WISH TO DRAW ATTENTION TO PARA 8 OF JOINT DECLARATION BY EC/ASEAN MINISTERS AT THEIR RECENT MEETING, DEALING WITH INDO-CHINESE REFUGEES. CHAND OVER TEXT.) YOU WILL NOTE THAT THE MINISTERS EXPRESSED SERIOUS CONCERN ABOUT THE FLOW OF BOAT PEOPLE FROM VIETNAM: STATED THAT VIETNAM SHOULD CO-OPERATE WITH OTHERS TO FIND A SOLUTION: AND URGED VIETNAM TO ACCEPT THE RETURN, SUBJECT TO SATISFACTORY GUARANTEES, OF THOSE WHO DO NOT MEET THE AGREED CRITERIA FOR REFUGEE STATUS.
SERIOUSLY CONCERNED AT DETERIORATING SITUATION IN HONG KONG. NEARLY 3,000 ARRIVALS IN HONG KONG THIS YEAR. 6 TIMES AS MANY AS IN THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR. IN LAST MONTH ALONE WELL OVER 1,000 ARRIVALS. AVERAGE OF 120 A DAY IN MAY. POPULATION IN HONG KONG NOW OVER 11,700 COMPARED WITH ABOUT 7,600 IN MID-1987.
- CONTINUED ILLEGAL DEPARTURES FROM VIETNAM PLACING AN INCREASING BURDEN ON PLACES OF FIRST ASYLUM. BAD FOR VIETNAM'S IMAGE, NEGATIVE EFFECT ON VIETNAM'S RELATIONS WITH REGIONAL AND OTHER GOVERNMENTS. IN VIETNAM'S OWN INTEREST TO TAKE EFFECTIVE STEPS TO STOP ILLEGAL OUTFLOW, AND TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEMS THIS OUTFLOW
HAS CREATED FOR OTHERS.
PLEASED TO NOTE THAT ORDERLY DEPARTURE PROGRAMMES ARE NOW WORKING MORE SMOOTHLY. THIS SHOULD HELP TO REDUCE ILLEGAL DEPARTURES. ALSO WELCOME RECENT DECISION TO ACCEPT RETURN OF FOUR VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION CASES FROM HONG KONG. BUT VIET NAM
NEEDS TO DO MORE:
G
VIGOROUS ACTION TO REDUCE ILLEGAL DEPARTURES
MORE RAPID PROCESSING OF VOLUNTARY RETURN CASES. YOU STILL HAVE ONE CASE IN HONG KONG WHICH HAS BEEN OUTSTANDING SINCE 1985. RECENTLY 12 NEW CASES HAVE BEEN PUT FORWARD BY UNHCR. CHAND OVER
LIST OF THESE 13 CASES).
LOOK TO SEE INCREASED WILLINGNESS TO ACCEPT BACK THOSE WHO HAVE LEFT, ON THE BASIS DESCRIBED IN THE EC/ASEAN DECLARATION.
HOWE
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