TNAG-1796-FCO40-2556-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 207

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FM WASHINGTON

705

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HKD 243/8

30 AUG 1930

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

TOP COPY DIST ?

DA

Actur Ta

N

Q

020776

MDLIAN 2600

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 2077

OF 262237Z AUGUST 88

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG

684

YOUR TELNO 1365:

PROPOSED IRAC STUDY VISIT TO HONG KONG

1.

WE HAVE WRITTEN ACCORDINGLY IN RESPONSE TO LETTERS (ON

VERY SIMILAR LINES) FROM SENATORS DOLE AND BOSCHWITZ, AND CONGRESSMEN EDWARDS AND GUNDERSON.

(96-8)

2.

IRAC HAVE NOW RETURNED THE CHARGE. IN A LETTER

DATED 24 AUGUST (COPIES FOLLOW BY FAX TO HKD AND TO HONG KONG) THEY ARGUE THAT THE SCREENING PROCESS, AND THE DETENTION

CENTRE

FOR VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE AWAITING SCREENING, SHOULD BE ΟΡΕΝ ΤΟ SCRUTINY BY NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS SUCH AS IRAC BECAUSE: (I) AS HMG HAS MADE CLEAR, VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE CANNOT BE TREATED AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS UNTIL THEY HAVE BEEN SCREENED AND FOUND NOT TO BE GENUINE REFUGEES.

(II) IRAC IS NOT A QUOTE RESETTLEMENT CHANNEL UNQUOTE.

(III)

QUOTE GRANTING IRAC ACCESS TO SCREENING AND THE DETENTION CENTRES AND TO INDIVIDUAL ASYLUM APPLICANTS WOULD BENEFIT THE UK BY DEMONSTRATING CREDIBILITY OF THE SCREENING PROGRAMME. WITH-

HOLDING ACCESS WOULD ONLY SERVE TO HEIGHTEN INTERNATIONAL SUSPICION AND DOUBT ABOUT THE EXPRESS AND OPEN ASSURANCES GIVEN

BY THE UK TO ALL INTERESTED GOVERNMENTS AND ORGANISATIONS UNQUOTE. AND SINCE ANY BOAT PEOPLE DETERMINED BY THE SCREENING PROCESS TO BE GENUINE REFUGEES MIGHT BE RESETTLED ABROAD, THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY HAD AN INTEREST IN OBSERVING THE

ADMINISTRATION OF THE SCREENING PROCESS.

THE IRAC LETTER CONCLUDES BY REAFFIRMING THEIR INTENTION TO

CONDUCT THEIR ENQUIRY IN A FAIR AND UNBIASED MANNER.

3. WE BELIEVE THAT THE CAMPAIGN ORCHESTRATED BY IRAC TO PUT PRESSURE ON US ON THIS ISSUE HAS REACHED THE POINT WHERE IT WOULD BE BEST FOR A RESPONSE TO THE LATEST IRAC LETTER TO BE DRAFTED BY THE EXPERTS IN LONDON OR HONG KONG. ONE FACTOR TO BE BORNE IN MIND IS THAT IRAC HAVE BEEN FAIRLY SUCCESSFUL IN DRAWING

ATTENTION TO THEIR CASE ON THE HILL. OTHER ORGANISATIONS ARE BEGINNING TO TAKE AN INTEREST AS WELL: WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE LAWYERS COMMITTEE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS BASED IN NEW YORK HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE THERE ABOUT ACCESS TO THE SCREENING PROGRAMME. WE CANNOT JUDGE FROM HERE WHETHER THE POTENTIAL DAMAGE TO HONG KONG'S IMAGE IN THE US FROM A

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