TNAG-1851-FCO40-2626-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 201

E:

VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE

SITUATION IN HONG KONG

BOA

Hong Kong at end of its tether.

can be accommodated.

People arriving much faster than

PEO

Are arriving at a time when events in China have cast dark shadow

over future of territory.

Local patience exhausted.

LIKELY OUTCOME OF GENEVA CONFERENCE?

Shehow availabe

Comprehensive Plan of Action endorsed at Conference a valuable

step forward. But insufficient on its own. Further specific

are needed to help Hong Kong.

measures

Made it clear in my speech at Conference that we need early

agreement to programme to screen out non-refugees, with suitable

safeguards about their treatment on return to Vietnam.

Essential also that there should be effective measures to deter

further departures. Repatriation programme will help to achieve

this.

Look to international community to agree to establishment of Refugee Processing Centre in region. This will provide early relief to Hong Kong.

Hopeful that Conference will endorse new international effort to

resettle refugees from the region over 3 years. We are playing our full part:

have agreed to accept a further 1,000 refugees from Hong

Kong.

ALAABD