TNAG-1793-FCO40-2553-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 190

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO DESKBY 132000Z LUXEMBOURG

TELNO 44

OF 13180OZ JUNE 88

AND TO DESKBY 14010OZ HONG KONG

290

131564

MDHOAN 8040

HKD 243/3

TOP COPY

FOR PRIVATE SECRETARY

FROM PRIVATE SECRETARY

HONG KONG PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR:

MIPT: TEXT OF DRAFT MESSAGE AS FOLLOWS:

2.

1. AS YOU KNOW, ONE OF MY MAIN OBJECTIVES DURING MY RECENT VISIT TO HONG KONG WAS TO ASSESS THE PROBLEM OF THE VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE. MY MEETING WITH OMELCO, AT WHICH YOU PRESIDED, WAS EXTREMELY USEFUL. MY VISITS TO GREEN ISLAND AND CHI .MA WAN LEFT ME IN NO DOUBT THAT AS I SAID AT THE TIME, THE INFLUX WAS BECOMING INTOLERABLE AND THINGS COULD NOT GO ON AS THEY WERE.

I SAID IN HONG KONG THAT I WOULD DISCUSS THE PROBLEM WITH CABINET COLLEAGUES AS SOON AS I RETURNED TO LONDON. I HAVE NOW DONE SO, WITH THE RESULT THAT WE HAVE NOW APPROVED HONG KONG GOVERNMENT'S DECISION TO IMPLEMENT A NEW POLICY WITH EFFECT FROM 16 JUNE. FROM NOW ON THE GREAT MAJORITY OF BOAT PEOPLE ARRIVING IN HONG KONG WILL BE DETAINED AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, PENDING THEIR EVENTUAL RETURN TO VIETNAM. ONLY THOSE WHO CAN SHOW THAT THEY ARE GENUINE REFUGEES WILL BE TREATED AS SUCH.

3. I SPOKE TO THE VIETNAMESE FOREIGN MINISTER IN NEW YORK ON 7 JUNE, AND PRESSED HIM TO TAKE STEPS TO REDUCE ILLEGAL

DEPARTURES AND TAKE BACK THOSE WHO HAVE NO PROSPECT OF RESETTLEMENT ELSEWHERE. WE SHALL KEEP UP THE PRESSURE. I SAW

THE SOVIET AND CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTERS ON THE SAME DAY, AND DISCUSSED THE PROBLEM OF BOAT PEOPLE WITH BOTH OF THEM. I HAVE

SINCE SPOKEN TO SECRETARY SHULTZ.

4.

THIS IS NOT OF COURSE A COMPLETE SOLUTION. THERE IS A

LIMIT TO WHAT CAN BE DONE UNTIL CIRCUMSTANCES AND OFFICIAL ATTITUDES CHANGE IN VIETNAM ITSELF. BUT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WILL CONTINUE TO DO WHAT IT CAN TO FIND A LASTING SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM. WE ARE NOW IN TOUCH WITH ALL THE RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES, UNHCR AND THE COUNTRIES OF THE REGION TO EXPLAIN HONG KONG'S CHANGE OF POLICY

5.

•

MAY I ALSO EXPRESS MY RESPECT AND ADMIRATION FOR THE WAY IN WHICH HONG KONG HAS RESPONDED OVER THE YEARS TO THE INFLUX OF BOAT PEOPLE WITH GENEROSITY, EFFICIENCY AND HUMANITY. IT IS A RECORD TO BE PROUD OF.

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