TNAG-1794-FCO40-2554-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 221

From the Secretary of State

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HKD 243/8

HKD

436

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

London SW1A 2AH

1 July 1988

दं क

Dia Nicholas

MrJtum or

Mr Fuman!!!!?

Wa

Vila

Thank you for your letter of 17 June about Vietnamese boat people in Hong Kong. I was glad of the opportunity to meet you with the British Refugee Council on 19 May and to hear your views on this tragic human problem. I am grateful too for your appreciation of the need for a change of policy.

1

I have carefully noted what you say about official funding of the work of non governmental organisations in Vietnam. That is one option which is kept under review and I would not rule it out, possibly in the circumstances you describe. But any decision on this would also have to take account of a number of other factors, including progress towards ending Vietnam's occupation of Cambodia and the adoption of workable economic policies in Vietnam. On your second point, conditions in the detention centres in Hong Kong accommodating people who have been screened out under the new policy will be of a similar standard to those in the closed centres under the old policy. They will be as humane as possible under the circumstances. They will be operated by the Hong Kong Government Correctional Services, who will run workshops and provide facilities for training and recreation. Families will not be split up. Children will have access to educational facilities.

N Hinton Esq CBE