TNAG-1793-FCO40-2553-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 179

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LONGER AVAILABLE. THE MAJOR RESETTLEMENT COUNTIRES ARE INCREASINGLY UNWILLING TO ACCEPT THESE PEOPLE, PARTICULARLY ETHNIC VIETNAMESE FROM NORTH VIETNAM, AS REFUGEES FOR RESETTLEMENT PURPOSES. INDEED, IT IS WIDELY BELIEVED THAT A LARGE PROPORTION OF THE VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE, PARTICULARLY THOSE ARRIVING IN HONG KONG, ARE NOT REFUGEES, AND THAT THEY ARE NOT LEAVING VIETNAM, IN THE TERMS OF THE 1951 UN CONVENTION ON THE STATUS OF REFUGEES, BECAUSE OF A ''WELL- FOUNDED FEAR OF PERSECUTION ON GROUNDS OF RACE, RELIGION, NATIONALITY OR MEMBERSHIP OF A PARTICULAR SOCIAL OR POLITICAL

GROUPING. THEY ARE SIMPLY PEOPLE SEEKING A BETTER LIFE.

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REPATRIATION FOR THOSE ACCEPTED BY HONG KONG AS REFUGEES CAN ONLY

BE DONE ON A VOLUNTARY BASIS AND ALL EFFORTS TO PRODUCE A

SATISFACTORY AGREEMENT WITH VIETNAM ON THE REPATRIATION OF THE LARGE

NUMBERS OF THEIR CITIZENS WHO CONTINUE TO ARRIVE IN HONG KONG HAVE

SO FAR MET WITH DISCOURAGING RESULTS. THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES STEADFASTLY REFUSE TO CONSIDER ACCEPTING THE RETURN OF THEIR PEOPLE

EXCEPT ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS.

MEANWHILE, THE INFLUX OF BOAT PEOPLE CONTINUES UNABATED, AND HONG KONG AND OTHER PLACES OF FIRST ASYLUM IN THE SOUTH EAST ASIAN

REGION ARE FORCED TO CONTINUE SHOULDERING A BURDEN WHICH BECOMES

PROGRESSIVELY HEAVIER. A RECENT SEMINAR INVOLVING DELEGATES FROM

ASEAN COUNTRIES AND HONG KONG CONCLUDED THAT THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE

PROBLEM LAY IN VIETNAM, WHOSE GOVERNMENT HAD A CLEAR OBLIGATION TO RESOLVE IT, AND THAT IT WAS OF FUNDAMENTAL IMPORTANCE TO DISCOURAGE FUTURE OUT FLOWS FROM THAT COUNTRY. IT WAS ALSO CLEAR

THAT EXISTING ARRANGEMENTS WHICH HELD OUT THE PROSPECT OF HOPE OF AUTOMATIC RESETTLEMENT FOR ALL WHO LEFT VIETNAM, FOR WHATEVER REASON, WERE A MAJOR PULL FACTOR'.

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SIR. IT IS AGAINST THE BACKGROUND OF A SITUATION THAT CAN NO LONGER

BE ACCEPTED BY THIS COMMUNITY THAT WE HAVE REVIEWED OUR CURRENT POLICY, IN CONSULTATION WITH HMG. IN SO DOING, WE ARE CONSCIOUS AND INDEED APPRECIATIVE OF THE ASSISTANCE PROVIDED BY RESETTLEMENT

COUNTIRES IN TAKING SO MANY OF OUR VIETNAMESE REFUGEES. WE HOPE

THIS PROCESS WILL CONTINUE. INDEED, WE HAVE GREATER NEED OF RESTTLEMENT PLACES NOW THAN AT ANY TIME IN THE LAST EIGHT YEARS.

WE ARE GRATEFUL ALSO TO THE UNHCR AND THE MANY VOLUNTARY AGENCIES FOR THE PART THAT THEY HAVE PLAYED. BUT DESPITE THIS ENORMOUS EFFORT

THERE IS NO END IN SIGHT TO THE FLOOD OF PEOPLE ARRIVING HERE.

SIR, MORE MUST BE DONE TO DISCOURAGE BOAT PEOPLE FROM LEAVING VIETNAM. WE HAVE THEREFORE CONCLUDED THAT THE TIME HAS COME TO

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