TNAG-1794-FCO40-2554-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 101

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION

Top Secret

DSR 11C (Revised 5/87)

we accepted 156 refugees; and so far this year we have

taken in over 100. We are actively considering what more

can be done: in the meantime our existing resettlement

programme is continuing.

Secret

Confidential

Restricted

Unclassified

PRIVACY MARKING

In Confidence

We

Fifthly, your constituent asks about action with the

Vietnamese authorities. We have been very active on this

front: Geoffrey Howe spoke very firmly to his Vietnamese

counterpart in New York on 7 June about the need for

Vietnam to control illegal operations and to accept back

those boat people who do not qualify as refugees.

have taken every opportunity to drive this message home,

both in our own bilateral contacts with the Vietnamese

authorities and by urging the other countries concerned

and the UNHCR to do likewise. Our efforts appear to have

borne some fruit: the Vietnamese Government have recently

indicated that they are ready to open negotiations on

repatriation. We are of course taking up this offer.

I was

I should perhaps add that I have just returned myself

from Hong Kong, where I visited two refugee centres and

had extensive discussions with the Hong Kong Government

and others closely concerned with the problem.

struck by the efficient and humane way in which the

athorities are copying with this difficult and tragic

problem, despite the enormous additional burden which

they have had to shoulder.

this.

They deserve full credit for