TNAG-1795-FCO40-2555-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 306

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HKD 243/8

5x3

075310

MDLIAN 4286

TOP COPY Q DIST ?

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FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 2793

OF 210845Z JULY 88

HANOI

AND TO PRIORITY

RECE

N

1988

INFO PRIORITY SINGAPORE, MANILA, JAKARTA, BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN INFO PRIORITY WASHINGTON, CANBERRA, OTTAWA, TOKYO, PEKING INFO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA, KUALA LUMPUR, BANGKOK

MY 2ND IPT: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: TALKS WITH VIETNAMESE.

FOLLOWING IS DRAFT SPEAKING NOTE:

·

1 THANKS FOR INVITATION AND ARRANGING EARLY TALKS. INTRODUCE MEMBERS

OF TEAM.

2. ALREADY MANY CONTACTS. SIR G HOWE'S DISCUSSION WITH FOREIGN

MINISTER CO THACH IN NEW YORK IN JUNE. MEETINGS BETWEEN MINISTRY AND

BRITISH AMBASSADOR AND CHARGE D'AFFAIRES.

3. ISSUE OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE LONG HISTORY. SERIOUS EFFECT ON

COUNTRIES IN REGION AND WORLD. CAUSED BY CONDITIONS IN VIETNAME.

4. RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUTFLOW FALLS ON VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT. NOT

FOR OTHER COUNTRIES OR GOVERNMENTS TO TELL VIETNAM HOW TO SOLVE

PROBLEMS. BUT NO QUESTION THAT VIETNAM'S STANDING IN INTERNATIONAL

COMMUNITY DEPENDS TO LARGE EXTENT ON GOVERNMENT BEING SEEN TO DEAL

WITH ISSUE. ALL VIETNAMS' NEIGHBOURS DIRECTLY AFFECTED.

5. PROBLEMS FOR HONG KONG ESPECIALLY ACUTE. HAVE BEEN FACING THESE

SINCE MID 70'S. HONG KONG'S PROBLEM OF SPACE AND FINANCIAL AND HUMAN

RESOURCES. CANNOT GO ON ACCOMMODATING ADDITIONAL BURDEN. FOR SOME

TIME NOW BOAT PEOPLE COMING TO HONG KONG HAVE HAD VIRTUALLY NO

RESETTLEMENT PROSPECTS.

6. RISE IN NUMBER OF BOAT PEOPLE SINCE MID 1987 HAS CREATED NEW CRISIS. A YEAR AGO THERE WERE 8,000 REFUGEES IN HONG KONG. PRESENT POPULATION (REFUGEES AND VIIS)

NUMBER ARRIVED THIS

IN JULY:..

YEAR...

FAR

IN JUNE:

·

.. ■

•

*

SO

7. FOR LONG EVIDENT THAT MOST BOAT PEOPLE WERE ECONOMIC MIGRANTS NOT

1

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