TNAG-1795-FCO40-2555-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 65

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Annex D

DIPLOMATIC CAMPAIGN

The diplomatic campaign can be divided into five parts. The differences will be of timing and emphasis in the message that is put across.

a)

b)

c)

The most important group consists of the USA, Canada, Australia and Japan: they are ICG members and the major resettlement countries. There is a good argument for speaking to them first, indeed they have been given advance notice of the outline of our thinking. In speaking to them in more detail we will need to emphasize the growing imbalance between the inflow of boat people and the off-take by resettlement countries; the fact that most of the arrivals are economic migrants, not refugees; that Hong Kong's resources are stretched to the limit and local pressure is mounting. We will also have to emphasize that genuine refugees will be identified by screening processes undertaken in co-operation with UNHCR; that there will an appeals procedure along UNHCR guidelines; and that conditions of even those held as illegal immigrants will be humane. The resettlement countries will be asked to keep up pressure on Vietnam to stop illegal departures, to point out Hong Kong's change of policy, and to assist in resettling existing Vietnamese refugees especially the long stayers. The UNHCR will be asked to provide funding for expenses incurred by the refugees.

The second group will be other important countries: UK's European partners, Scandinavian countries and New Zealand. The message to these will be essentially the same, but the timing different. We do not need to gain their acceptance as far in advance as we do that of the first group, but since they are resettlement countries we should given them some notice.

Other first asylum countries, and the rest of the international community. Again the message could be substantially similar, with perhaps more emphasis on the burden presently carried by Hong Kong, as against the humanitarian aspects of the matter. These do not need to be informed in advance of implementation of the policy.

G.F. 316

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