TNAG-1793-FCO40-2553-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 287

CONFIDENTIAL

COPY O DIST ?

244

105652 MDHOAN 7533

HKD 243 8

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE WASHINGTON

TELNO 954

OF 06160OZ JUNE 88

AND TO IMMEDIATE OTTAWA, CANBERRA, TOKYO

AND TO ROUTINE EC POSTS, STOCKHOLM, OSLO, HELSINKI, WELLINGTON INFO ROUTINE UKMIS GENEVA, HONG KONG

VIETNAM REFUGEES IN HONG KONG: IMMINENT CHANGE OF POLICY

1. MINISTERS ARE URGENTLY CONSIDERING A RECOMMENDATION THAT HONG

KONG SHOULD CHANGE ITS CURRENT POLICY OF GIVING FIRST ASYLUM TO

ALL ARRIVALS BY BOAT FROM VIETNAM

THEY ARE CONSIDERING A NEW

·

POLICY WHICH WOULD INVOLVE SCREENING ON THE BASIS OF UNHCR

GUIDELINES OF ALL BOAT PEOPLE SO AS TO DISTINGUISH THE GENUINE

REFUGEES FROM THOSE ARRIVALS WHOSE MOTIVATION IS ESSENTIALLY

ECONOMIC, AND WHO THEREFORE FAIL TO MEET THE INTERNATIONALLY

ACCEPTED REFUGEE CRITERIA. THOSE DEEMED TO BE GENUINE REFUGEES

WOULD BE ACCOMMODATED IN CAMPS TO AWAIT RESETTLEMENT.

/

THOSE SCREENED OUT WOULD BE DETAINED PENDING THEIR REPATRIATION TO VIETNAM, AS SOON AS AGREEMENT ON THIS CAN BE REACHED WITH THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES. THE NEED FOR A NEW POLICY ARISES FROM THE DRAMATIC UPSURGE IN ARRIVALS FROM VIETNAM IN RECENT MONTHS.

WE SHALL ALSO BE CALLING ON RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES TO MAKE RENEWED EFFORTS TO RESETTLE THOSE REFUGEES CURRENTLY IN HONG KONG.

2.

THE NEW ARRANGEMENTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE INTRODUCED ON 16

JUNE. WE HOPE TO SECURE MINISTERIAL AGREEMENT TO THE POLICY JUNE. WE WILL THEN ISSUE IMMEDIATE INSTRUCTIONS TO WASHINGTON, OTTAWA, CANBERRA AND TOKYO TO EXPLAIN THE NEW POLICY TO THEIR HOST GOVERNMENTS AND TO SECURE THEIR SUPPORT OR AT LEAST

ACQUIESCENCE. THESE POSTS MAY THEREFORE WISH TO FOREWARN THE MFA

CONTACTS THAT THEY WILL NEED TO CALL ON THEM URGENTLY SOON AFTER 7 JUNE. INSTRUCTIONS TO OTHER ADDRESSEES WILL FOLLOW IN SLIGHTLY

SLOWER TIME, MUCH CLOSER TO THE PROPOSED IMPLEMENTATION DATE.

HOWE

YYYY

PAGE

1

CONFIDENTIAL