TNAG-1792-FCO40-2552-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 258

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FM HONG KONG

TO DESKBY 281200Z FCO

TELNO 1598

OF 281045Z APRIL 88

INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA

f107

HUD 243/8

APR 1988

142322 MDHIAN 7499

YOUR TELNO 1047 AND TELECON HUM/GOVERNOT

(103

: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE

1. THE PURPOSE OF MY TELNO 1539 WAS TO SET OUT, IN A SELF-CONTAINED FORM SUITABLE FOR MINISTERS, THE RAPIDLY DETERIORATING SITUATION FACING HONG KONG AND MY PRELIMINARY CONCLUSION ON THE POLICY IMPLICATIONS. I WAS NOT (NOT) RULING OUT THE IDEA OF SCREENING NEW ARRIVALS. PARA 11(11) MADE THE POINT THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO ENSURE ADEQUATE ARRANGEMENTS TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT WE WOULD NOT REPATRIATE GENUINE REFUGEES TO VIETNAM.

2. WHAT I AM HOWEVER ANXIOUS TO MAKE CLEAR IS THAT SCREENING ON ARRIVAL HAS OBVIOUS DISADVANTAGES IN LESSENING THE DETERRENT EFFECT OF A CHANGE OF POLICY. THERE IS THEREFORE A COST IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF CONTINUING ARRVIALS. NEVERTHELESS, IT MAY WELL BE NECESSARY TO SCREEN IN THIS WAY TO AVOID A CHANGE OF POLICY DOING EXCESSIVE DAMAGE TO HONG KONG INTERNATIONALLY. MY PRESENT VIEW IS THAT SCREENING ON ARRIVAL WILL INDEED BE NECESSARY. WE ARE CURRENTLY CONSIDERING IN DETAIL HOW IT MIGHT BE IMPLEMENTED AND WHAT THE IMPLICATIONS WOULD BE. BUT IF WE ADOPT A POLICY OF SCREENING ON ARRIVAL WE MUST DO IT WITH OUR EYES OPEN TO ALL THE DISADVANTAGES.

WILL

3. WE W

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REPLY SEPARATELY AND IN MORE DETAIL TO THE VARIOUS POINTS RAISED IN YOUR TELNOS 982-4 AND NOW IN TUR. BUT, BECAUSE THIS IS LIKELY TO BE A MATTER OF HIGH POLITICAL SENSITIVITY IN THE UK AND INTERNATIONALLY, AND BECAUSE WE MAY HAVE TO MOVE QUICKLY DUE TO THE GROWING PRESSURE OF NUMBERS AND THE RESULTANT POLITICAL REACTION LOCALLY, I WOULD LIKE TO BE SURE THAT MINISTERS ARE FULLY IN THE PICTURE AND TO KNOW THEIR PRELIMINARY REACTIONS.

·

4 YOU WILL, I AM SURE, HAVE TAKEN ON BOARD THE OBVIOUS POINT THAT VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO FEATURE SIGNIFICANTLY IN QUESTIONING FROM THE PRESS AND OMELCO DURING PLANNED MINISTERIAL VISITS.

WILSON

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