TNAG-1793-FCO40-2553-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 243

CONFIDNETIAL

FM UKMIS GENEVA

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 321

OF 091025Z JUNE

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

267

HKD 243/8

нит

CONFIDENTIAL

117260

MDHIAN 2657

TOP COPY Q DIST ?

YOUR TELNO 154: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE

SUMMARY

1.ACTION TAKEN WITH UNHCR.

PROMISED LATER THIS WEEK.

DETAIL

CAUTIOUS RESPONSE CONSIDERED REACTION

2. I CALLED ON HIGH COMMISSIONER

ACCOMPANIED BY HEAD OF CHANCERY.

FOR REFUGEES ON 9 JUNE,

I

SPOKE AS INSTRUCTED (HONG KONG

TELNO 2206 AS AMENDED BY TUR) AND LEFT A SPEAKING NOTE.

3. HOCKE EXPRESSED HIS GRATITUDE TO US FOR KEEPING UNHCR INFORMED

ABOUT EVOLVING POLICY IN HONG KONG. HE WISHED TO CONSIDER WHAT I

HAD SAID CAREFULLY AND UNDERTOOK TO LET US HAVE A FORMAL REPONSE

THIS WEEK.

4. HE COMMENTED THAT VIETNAMESE REFUGEE PROBLEM HAD TO BE SEEN AS A

WHOLE. ACTION IN ONE COUNTRY HAD IMPLICATIONS FOR ANOTHER. THE VIETNAMESE, DURING THEIR VISIT TO GENEVA EARLIER THIS MONTH DISCUSSIONS, HAD BEEN GIVEN THE CLEAR MESSAGE BY RE-SETTLEMENT COUNTRIES AND UNHCR THAT RETURN OF VIETNAM BOAT-PEOPLE WHO FAILED TO

MEET REFUGEE CRITERIA WAS AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT OF AN OVERALL

SOLUTION.

5. HE HAD ALSO MAKE IT CLEAR TO CO THACH (IN HIS LETTER BEFORE THE

ODP DISCUSSIONS) THAT UNHCR WISHED TO DISCUSS WITH VIETNAM

CONDITIONS FOR RETURN, SAFEGUARD GURANTEES AND THE POSIBILITY OF SOME LIMITED ASSISTANCE TO RETURNEES WITHIN THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITY.

HE HAD STRESSED TO THE VIETNAMESE THAT AN EARLY RESPONSE WOULD BE EXPECTED.

6. UNHCR RECOGNISED CURRENT DIFFICULTIES IN HONG KONG. THE REFUGEE

FLOW WAS EXCEPTIONAL. BUT INTRODUCITON OF SCREENING WOULD CAUSE

PROBLEMS IN ADVANCE OF AGREEMENT BY VIETNAM TO ACCEPT BACK THOSE SCREENED-OUT. INDEED, CLASSIFYING BOAT PEOPLE AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

1

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