TNAG-1793-FCO40-2553-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 10

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO ROUTINE THE HAGUE

TELNO 143

OF 230945Z JUNE 88

CONFIDENTIAL

HKD 243/8

TC

382

167612

MDLOAN 3442

INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG,

HANOI

INFO SAVING UKMIS GENEVA, EC POSTS, PEKING

YOUR TELNO 240:

1.

1328

VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: CHANGE OF POLICY

PARA 2 OF TUR: WE DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE DIFFICULTIES OF

PERSUADING VIETNAM TO ACCEPT THE RETURN OF NON-REFUGEES. BUT

THERE IS A GROWING INTERNATIONAL CONSENSUS THAT THIS IS A KEY

ELEMENT IN DEALING WITH THE PROBLEM. WE HAVE DISCUSSED THE ISSUE

WITH THE MAJOR RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES, UNHCR, THE COUNTRIES OF FIRST ASYLUM AND OTHER COUNTRIES WHICH HAVE RESETTLED BOAT PEOPLE

FROM HONG KONG. WE HAVE ALSO RAISED THE QUESTION WITH VIETNAM DIRECTLY, IN HANOI, NEW YORK (SECRETARY OF STATE/VIETNAMESE FOREIGN MINISTER NGUYEN CO THACH) AND LONDON. UNHCR HAS OPENED A

DIALOGUE WITH VIETNAM ON THE QUESTION. MANY COUNTRIES TOOK THE

OPPORTUNITY OF A VIETNAMESE DELEGATION'S VISIT TO GENEVA IN MAY

TO DISCUSS ODP TO PRESS THIS POINT. AND THERE ARE SIGNS THAT

ASEAN IS PREPARING TO PRESS THE VIETNAMESE AS WELL. THE

VIETNAMESE RESPONSE HAS NOT BEEN IMMEDIATELY ENCOURAGING, THEY HAVE INDICATED A WILLINGNESS TO DISCUSS THE MATTER.

PÁRA 3 OF TUR: IT IS NOW GENERALLY ACCEPTED THAT RESETTLEMENT CAN ACT AS A PULL FACTOR. BUT YOU MAY WISH TO POINT

OUT TO VAN DER HEIJDEN THAT AFTER THE INTRODUCTION OF THE NEW

POLICY IN HONG KONG ONLY THOSE ARRIVALS WHO MET

- J

2=

BUT

INTERNATIONALLY ACCEPTED CRITERIA FOR REFUGEE STATUS WILL HAVE

ACCESS TO RESETTLEMENT. THE VERY GREAT MAJORITY OF ARRIVALS WILL

BE SCREENED OUT AS NON REFUGEES, WHOSE MOTIVATION IS PURELY ECONOMIC (IE IN SEARCH OF A BETTER LIFE). THEY WILL BE

DETAINED AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS PENDING THEIR EVENTUAL REPATRIATION TO VIETNAM. WE HAVE MADE GREAT EFFORTS TO ENSURE THAT THIS BLEAK MESSAGE REACHES VIETNAM. WE HOPE THAT IN THIS

WAY THE DETERRENT EFFECT OF THE NEW POLICY WILL BE VERY GREAT,

THEREBY NEUTRALISING ANY QUOTE PULL FACTOR UNQUOTE INHERENT IN

CONTINUING RESETTLEMENT OF THOSE WITH REFUGEE STATUS.

HOWE