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TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 1597
OF 232346Z JUNE 88
AND TO PRIORITY HONG KONG, CANBERRA, HANOI
INFO ROUTINE HKGO LONDON, UKMIS GENEVA
386
170307
MDLIAN 7683
MIPT: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: PUBLICITY
1. FOLLOWING IS TEXT OF REPORT BROADCASTED BY VOICE OF AMERICA
ON 16 AND 17 JUNE:
QUOTE
THE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG WILL BEGIN TREATING VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AS OF NOON, WEDNESDAY (EDT). MAGGIE FOX IN HONG KONG REPORTS THE REFUGEES WILL BE SCREENED AND
THOSE CONSIDERED TO BE ECONOMIC IMMIGRANTS WILL BE SENT BACK TO
VIETNAM.
THE VIETNAMESE HAVE BEEN CROWDING INTO HONG KONG IN RECORD
NUMBERS. MORE THAN 16,000 VIETNAMESE NOW RESIDE IN HONG KONG, ABOUT TWICE THE NUMBER OF LAST YEAR. IT'S BELIEVED ONE REASON FOR THE RECORD INFLUX IS THAT SOME VIETNAMESE ARE TRYING TO GET
INTO HONG KONG BEFORE THE DEADLINE EXPIRES. IN ANNOUNCING THE
POLICY CHANGE, CHIEF SECRETARY SIR DAVID FORD SAID HONG KONG WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE FIRST ASYLUM SITE FOR THE REFUGEES, BUT HE SAYS IT'S CLEAR NEITHER HONG KONG NOR THE COUNTRIES THE VIETNAMESE ARE ULTIMATELY TRYING TO GET TO, CAN HANDLE SUCH LARGE NUMBERS.
IT'S NEITHER FAIR NOR, INDEED, HUMANE TO CONTINUE A PRACTICE WHICH IS BASED ON THE PROMISE OF RESETTLEMENT FOR ALL WHEN THAT
PROMISE IS NOT LONGER VALID. THERE ARE ALREADY 16,000 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG. MORE THAN 3,700 OF WHOM HAVE
BEEN HERE IN OUR CAMPS FOR MORE THAN THREE YEARS.
MR FORD SAYS ALL VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE WILL NOW BE TREATED
AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. HE SAYS IT WILL BE UP TO THE REFUGEES TO
PROVE THEY ARE VICTIMS OF PERSECUTION AND NOT JUST SEEKING A CHANCE TO MAKE MORE MONEY. THOSE DETERMINED TO BE ECONOMIC IMMI- GRANTS WILL BE PUT IN SPECIAL CLOSED CAMPS AND WILL NOT BE
ALLOWED TO APPLY FOR RESETTLEMENT ELSEWHERE.
MR FORD SAYS HE HOPES THOSE REFUGEES CAN BE SENT BACK TO
VIETNAM. THAT COULD TAKE YEARS SINCE VIETNAM DOESN'T WANT THEM.
THERE COULD ALSO BE POLITICAL PRESSURE BLOCKING REPATRIATION
THE REFUGEES SINCE VIETNAM'S ECONOMY IS IN POOR SHAPE.
THE ISSUE OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IS A CONTROVERSIAL ONE IN
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