TOCAAO
CONFIDENTIAL
MR MAUDE'S VISIT TO HONG KONG, 17-19 SEPTEMBER 1989
BRIEF NO 10 : PRESS BRIEF
A.
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE
1.
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Repatriation
Boat people who are not refugees cannot be housed permanently in
small and overcrowded territory of Hong Kong.
They have no prospect of resettlement in the West.
Repatriation is internationally accepted procedure for dealing with illegal immigrants: there is no reason why it should not apply
to Vietnamese.
2.
Use of force
www
A number of illegal immigrants from China are repatriated across
the border from Hong Kong every day and it has not proved necessary
to use force.
3.
Progress of talks with Vietnam on mandatory repatriation
Close to agreement with Vietnam but certain practical details
remain to be settled.
No question of repatriating boat people without assurances that
they will be treated humanely on return and that their conditions
can be monitored to ensure that such assurances are observed.
PRESS
4.
US opposition to mandatory repatriation
Comprehensive Plan of Action agreed at Geneva Conference in June
made perfectly clear that those who did not qualify as refugees had
no prospect of resettlement in the West and would have to return to
their country of origin.
That principle was endorsed by the US Government as well as by
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