are added to their number. But the current rate of reduction
through resettlement (2,500 in the past 12 months) is
unacceptably slow. Even if that level of commitment is sustained
it will take a further 6 years before all 15,500 have been
resettled. And over time governments who do not have our own
direct responsibility for Hong Kong will tend to let the
territory's needs slip down their list of priorities.
3. In May 1987 the Home Secretary announced a commitment to
resettle 468 named refugees from Hong Kong over 2 years, at a
rate of about 20 per month. Since then the number of boat people
in the territory has trebled.
4.
Our record of resettlement of Indo-Chinese refugees since
1979 is an honourable one. Our performance on resettlement from
Hong Kong is particularly creditable. But we believe the
dramatic increase in Hong Kong's refugee population calls for a
new initiative, consistent with the efforts we have made in the
past. We think this is necessary in support of the Hong Kong
government, as a humanitarian response to an otherwise
intractable problem and in the hope of stimulating substantial
new commitments from others.
5. A new initiative by the UK cannot guarantee matching offers
from elsewhere. But bilateral contacts suggest strongly that we
cannot hope for increased commitments from other countries, in
particular the US, Canada and Australia, without giving a lead
ourselves. They will expect any commitment to be commensurate
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