CONFIDENTIAL
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140412
MDHOAN 8246
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE MOSCOW
TELNO 804
TOP POP
OF 15143OZ JUNE 88
INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG, UKMIS GENEVA,
HANOI
MIPT: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG: SPEAKING NOTE FOR USE IN MOSCOW
CHANGE OF POSTING:
THE INCREASING FLOW IN ILLEGAL DEPARTURES FROM VIETNAM IS
TOTAL NUMBERS IN CREATING AN INTOLERABLE BURDEN FOR HONG KONG. HONG KONG NOW OVER 16,000 COMPARED WITH ABOUT 8,000 ONE YEAR AGO. OVER 7,000 ARRIVALS THIS YEAR. AVERAGE 100 ARRIVALS PER DAY IN MAY, 200 PER DAY SO FAR IN JUNE.
2.
THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF RECENT ARRIVALS ARE ORDINARY VIETNAMESE SEEKING A BETTER LIFE, BUT THE FACT IS THAT THERE IS NO REALISTIC POSSIBILITY OF THEIR BEING RESETTLED. THE WELL-BEING OF SUCH PEOPLE SHOULD BE THE RESPONSIBLITY OF THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT. IT IS ONLY RIGHT THAT THEIR FUTURE SHOULD
BE IN VIETNAM.
3
BOAT
THE ONLY LONG TERM SOLUTION IS REPATRIATION IN LINE WITH ARRANGEMENTS FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES. 4. AS FROM 16 JUNE HONG KONG WILL ADOPT A NEW POLICY. PEOPLE ARRIVING FROM VIETNAM WILL BE TREATED ON ARRIVAL AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. ALL EXCEPT THOSE LATER IDENTIFIED AS GENUINE REFUGEES WILL BE DETAINED WITHOUT ACCESS TO RESETTLEMENT PENDING ARRANGEMENTS FOR THEIR REPATRIATION TO VIETNAM.
5.
SECRETARY OF STATE RAISED THIS PROBLEM WITH FOREIGN MINISTER SHEVARDNADZE IN NEW YORK. WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL URGE
VIETNAM
-
TO INCREASE EFFORTS TO STEM THE FLOW OF UNCONTROLLED DEPARTURES WITH ALL THE RISKS TO LIFE AND UNCERTAIN FUTURE THEY INVOLVE.
- TO ACCEPT THE REPATRIATION OF NON-REFUGEES AND TO GIVE ASSURANCES THAT THEY WILL BE HUMANELY TREATED ON RETURN.
HOWE
YYYY
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