TNAG-1803-FCO40-2563-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-talks-between-the-UK--Hong-Kon-1988 — Page 228

CONFIDENTIAL

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CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 3709

OF 050945Z OCTOBER 88

INFO IMMEDIATE HANOI, BANGKOK

TOP COPY

CA?

MICD 243/15.

- 50CT120

165665 MDHIAN 6405

BANGKOK PLEASE PASS TO HMA HANOI

MIPT : REPORT ON THE PRESENT SITUATION IN HONG KONG

WE REMAIN GREATLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE PRESSURES ON HONG KONG BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE. PRESENT POPULATION (REFUGEES AND POST 15 JUNE ARRIVALS) 25,007 I.E. UP NEARLY 2,500 (10 PERCENT) SINCE WE MET IN AUGUST. TOTAL NUMBER ARRIVED THIS

YEAR NOW 17,479. IN AUGUST ALONE WE HAD 2,375.

2. WE NOTE THAT THE NUMBER OF ARRIVALS IN SEPTEMBER HAS DROPPED OFF MARKEDLY, DOWN TO 368. WE BELIEVE THAT THIS IS DUE TO A VARIETY OF FACTORS. WE HOPE THAT ONE OF THESE FACTORS IS EFFORTS MADE IN VIETNAM TO STOP THE OUTFLOW. LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU UNDER THE SECOND AGENDA ITEM ON THIS POINT.

3. SINCE OUR LAST ROUND OF TALKS IN AUGUST, THERE HAVE BEEN TWO SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS IN HONG KONG WHICH WE SHOULD TELL YOU ABOUT. THESE ARE (1) THE AGREEMENT WHICH WE HAVE REACHED WITH UNHCR ON 20 SEPTEMBER AND (2) THE MARKED INCREASE IN THE NUMBER

OF BOAT PEOPLE WHO WISH TO RETURN TO VIETNAM.

4. THE STATEMENT OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN HKG AND UNHCR ESTABLISHES A CLEAR BASIS FOR HKG TO SCREEN BOAT PEOPLE ARRIVING SINCE 16 JUNE, AND CONFIRMS THAT THE PROCEDURES TO BE USED MEET ALL INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS AND REQUIREMENTS. AS VIETNAMESE HAVE THEMSELVES SAID IN PAST, NO DOUBT THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF THOSE WHO HAVE ARRIVED RECENTLY ARE ECONOMIC MIGRANTS. HKG'S SCREENING PROCEDURES WILL DETECT ALL SUCH CASES, USING INTERNATIONALLY ACCEPTED CRITERIA. UNDER HONG KONG LAWS, THEY WILL BE CLASSIFIED AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AND WILL HAVE NO ACCESS TO RESETTLEMENT. FOLLOWING NORMAL INTER- NATIONAL PRACTICE THESE PEOPLE SHOULD ALL BE REPATRIATED.

5.

SECOND DEVELOPMENT IS CLEARLY RELATED. INCREASING NUMBER OF BOAT PEOPLE WHO WISH TO RETURN TO VIETNAM REFLECTS THE GROWING REALISATION THAT THEY ARE NOT REFUGEES, THAT THEY WILL BE SCREENED

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