TNAG-1794-FCO40-2554-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 190

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MDLOA 1794

HAVE NEVER BEEN BLEAKER: RESETTLEMENT IS SUBSTANTIALLY DOWN, AND

THERE IS A WIDESPREAD AND GROWING BELIEF THAT MOST OF THE RECENT

ARRIVALS ARE NOT GENUINE REFUGEES.

4-

THE LARGEST INDO CHINESE REFUGEE POPULATION IN THE REGION

NOW RESIDES IN HONG KONG. AS THE FIGURES SHOW THE SHARPEST

INCREASE IN ARRIVALS THIS YEAR HAS OCCURRED IN RESPECT OF

HONG KONG. MOREOVER WHEREAS IN EARLIER YEARS MOST BOAT PEOPLE ARRIVING IN HONG KONG WERE ETHNIC CHINESE, THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF NEW ARRIVALS IN THE TERRITORY ARE ETHNIC VIETNAMESE, MOSTLY FROM THE NORTHERN PART OF VIETNAM WHO HAVE NO FAMILY

LINKS OUTSIDE VIETNAM- MOST ARE FARMERS AND FISHERMEN SEEKING A

BETTER LIFE THEY CANNOT BE DESCRIBED AS REFUGEES AS DEFINED IN

THE 1951 CONVENTION AND 1967 PROTOCOL RELATING TO THE STATUS OF

REFUGEES COUNTRIES OF SETTLEMENT ARE NOT PREPARED TO TAKE

THERE IS THEREFORE NO

QUITE APART FROM THE BURDEN OF SUPPORTING

THEM HONG KONG CANNOT ABSORB THEM

FUTURE FOR THEM

INHUMANE TO CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO LEAVE

ILLUSION THAT HONG KONG IS A STEPPING STONE

TO THE WEST, WHEN ALL THAT AWAITS THEM IS INDEFINITE DETENTION IN

A CLOSED CAMP.

THEM. IT WOULD BE

VIETNAM UNDER THE

5.

IT WAS AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT INTRODUCED ON 16 JUNE A NEW POLICY TOWARD VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE. IT INVOLVES SCREENING ALL ARRIVALS ON THE BASIS OF UNHCR CRITERIA

TO DISTINGUISH GENUINE REFUGEES FROM ECONOMIC MIGRANTS. THERE IS

TO BE AN APPEALS PROCEDURE THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAVE

INVITED THE UNHCR TO BE INVOLVED IN. THOSE IN THE FORMER CATEGORY WILL BE ACCOMMODATED IN CAMPS TO AWAIT RESETTLEMENT

THOSE IN THE LATTER CATEGORY WILL BE DETAINED AS ILLEGAL

IMMIGRANTS, PENDING THEIR RETURN TO VIETNAM WHEN PROPER ARRANGEMENTS CAN BE MADE. THE PURPOSE OF THIS NEW

POLICY IS TO DETER ECONOMIC MIGRANTS FOR WHOM THERE IS NO HOPE OF RESETTLEMENT, WHILE MAINTAINING THE

PRINCIPLE OF FIRST ASYLUM FOR GENUINE REFUGEES.

6.

IT WILL BE NOTED THAT THESE MEASURES ARE IN LINE WITH THE

EC/ASEAN DECLARATION OF 1 MAY. OTHER APPROACHES HAVE BEEN ADOPTED, OR ARE SOON TO BE ADOPTED, BY THE OTHER MAIN COUNTRIES OF FIRST ASYLUM IN THE REGION. IN THAILAND, NEW ARRIVALS ARE NO LONGER ELIGIBLE FOR RESETTLEMENT AND THE PHANAT

NIKHOM HOLDING CENTRE HAS BEEN CLOSED TO NEW ARRIVALS. MALAYSIA HAS ANNOUNCED THAT IT WILL CLOSE THE PULAU BIDANG CAMP. SUCH

MEASURES ARE SEEN AS THE INEVITABLE RESPONSE TO A DETERIORATING

SITUATION WHICH DEMANDED QUICK AND DECISIVE ACTION.