TNAG-1793-FCO40-2553-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 98

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELNO 1555

OF 161445Z JUNE 88

INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA

CONFIDENTIAL

HUD 243/8

144402

339

MDHOAN 8375

Q DIST Y

VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG: UNHCR PRESS STATEMENT ON NEW

POLICY.

1. WE HAVE NOW RECEIVED A COPY OF UNHCR'S PRESS STATMENT ON THE NEW POLICY. WE ARE SENDING A COPY TO YOU BY FACSIMILE IN CASE

YOU HAVE NOT SEEN IT.

2.

THE TONE AND MUCH OF THE CONTENT OF THE STATEMENT ARE DISAPPOINTING, PARTICULARLY SINCE WE HAVE MADE CONSIDERABLE EFFORTS TO TAKE UNHCR INTO OUR CONFIDENCE IN ADVANCE OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE CHANGE OF THE POLICY. THE REFERENCES TO UNHCR'S CONCERN ABOUT TIMING AND TO QUOTE UNILATERAL DECISION BY THE PARTIES INVOLVED UNQUOTE ARE UNHELPFUL AND DO NOT REFLECT THE CARE WE TOOK TO EXPLAIN WHY THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEW

POLICY COULD NOT BE DELAYED.

3. WE ALSO NOTE CAMP CONDITIONS.

UNHCR'S CALL FOR IMMEDIATE STEPS TO LIBERALISE

THIS HAS NOT YET BEEN PICKED UP IN ANY SIGNIFICANT WAY BY THE UK PRESS, ALTHOUGH THERE HAVE BEEN PRESS REPORTS OF HONG KONG GOVERNMENT STATEMENTS TO THE EFFECT THAT THERE WILL NOW BE RELAXATION OF THE REGIME IN THE EXISITING CLOSED CAMPS. WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR AN AUTHORITATIVE LINE TO TAKE ON THIS POINT.

4.

IN THE MEANTIME, WE ARE TAKING THE FOLLOWING LINE IN RESPONSE TO PRESS ENQUIRIES HERE ABOUT UNHCR'S POSITION ON THE

NEW POLICY:.

BEGINS

(A) WE HAVE BEEN IN CLOSE AND FREQUENT CONTACT WITH UNHCR IN RECENT WEEKS ABOUT THE DETERIORATING SITUATION IN HONG KONG:

(B) WE WELCOME THE FACT THAT UNHCR ACCEPT THE NEED FOR A POLICY

OF SCREENING ON ARRIVAL IN HONG KONG:

(C) ON TIMING, AS WE HAVE EXPLAINED TO UNHCR, WE AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT DECIDED THAT, IN VIEW OF THE RAPIDLY

DETERIORATING SITUATION IN HONG KONG, THE INTRODUCTION OF THE NEW

POLICY COULD NOT BE DELAYED.

HOWE