TNAG-1794-FCO40-2554-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 49

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He had not been aware that the question of cost had been an important issue in Hong Kong.

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Martin Barber said that there was increasing concern among refugees of other nationalities trying to enter the UK that those admitted from Vietnam with full refugee status on arrival passed through no procedures to establish their right to be considered as refugees at any stage. Concern about this had increased as the Government was seen to be making it even harder for people to seek asylum in the UK.

He told Sir Geoffrey that he felt he should be aware of the increasing public concern that British policy and that of most other member states of the UN was inadvertently and indirectly sustaining the Khmer Rouge. It seemed to be more and more widely believed that the consequences of a withdrawal of Vietnamese troops from Kampuchea would be a a return to the Khmer Rouge. He wondered whether the Foreign Secretary was aware of a document which had apparently reached the US Embassy in Bangkok. It was a circular issued by the Khmer Rouge Central Committee to all cadres as part of very long and detailed instructions to cadres. It apparently made it clear that the policy of the Khmer Rouge on their return to power would be to "annihilate" not only the present Phnomh Phenh authorities but also the supporters of Prince Sihanouk and the KPNLF with whom they were now in coalition.

There were also increasingly frequent reports that the Khmer Rouge were stockpiling weapons in the interior of Kampuchea for the time when they would be in a position to take power again.

Voluntary agencies were therefore extremely concerned that British Government policy appeared to be simply that the Vietnamese should withdraw from Kampuchea and free elections be held: There did not seem to be any evidence to suggest that the Khmer Rouge were interested in any plan for free elections.

Although the situation in Kampuchea might not, at first sight, seem to be connected with the present crisis in Hong Kong, the agencies believed that the issues were closely interconnected and could not be considered separately.

Sir Geoffrey replied that he did not believe that the consequences of a Vietnamese withdrawal from Kampuchea would necessarily be as bad as Martin Barber suggested. However, he recognised that the issues were interconnected and needed to be addressed.

Lord Chitnis said that he hoped the points which he and his colleagues had made would be helpful during Sir Geoffrey's visit to Hong Kong and asked whether it would be possible to meet him again on his return to discuss the conclusions which he had reached.

Sir Geoffrey said that he welcomed the opportunity to discuss these matters and would make sure that BRC was kept in touch with developments on his

return.

Martin Barber said that Sir Geoffrey should be aware that whereas the British agencies would not oppose the introduction of screening in Hong Kong, he could not be sure that the same was true for organisations representing the Vietnamese refugee community itself.

My.

MB/AHA 24.5.88