TNAG-1794-FCO40-2554-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 215

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refugees, most of whom have been of Chinese ethnic origin.

the territory.

Continues to allow approximately 250 a year to settle permanently in

Following the Geneva conference of 1979 on the

problems arising from Vietnamese boat people, Hong Kong, like other

Vietnam countries in South East Asia, enjoyed a temporary respite.

was persuaded to establish an Orderly Departure Programme under the

auspices of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees which

allowed Vietnamese to leave their country legally. Moreover

resettlement countries took large quotas of refugees from Hong Kong

and South East Asia.

For Hong Kong, however, as a colonial territory, there have

always been particular problems. Hong Kong has not had the political

weight internationally that indepednet countries like Thailand enjoy

with the major resettlement countries such as the United States,

Canada and Australia.

Increasingly these countries have felt that

Hong Kong was Britain's responsibility and it should give the lead on

resettling refugees from the territory, Although Britain has taken

13,000 refugees from Hong Kong for resettlement in the U.K. since

1975, the numbers accepted have been declining sharply. For the two-

year period beginning May 1987, the number accepted will be 468.

Hong Kong already began to take a tougher line towards

Vietnamese boat people in 1982 when it announced the establishment of

closed camps where refugees have been held in tough conditions

pending resettlement. This policy has often been criticised by

humanitarian organizations. However under the new policy to be

implemented from 16th June, all Vietnamese boat people arriving in

Hong Kong will be screened and those deemed not genuine refugees will