TNAG-1904-FCO40-2706-Hong-Kong-attitudes-towards-Vietnamese-refugees-1989 — Page 11

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

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050067 MDLIAN 191

3. MOST RESPONDENTS WERE SYMPATHETIC TOWARDS THE MASS RALLY HELD IN YUEN LONG ON SUNDAY AND THE CONCERN OF THE YUEN LONG RESIDENTS ABOUT THE DECISON TO HOUSE VBP IN SEK KONG. SOME RESPONDENTS IN YUEN LONG MAINTAINED THAT THE PRESENCE OF VBP WOULD CAUSE NUISANCE THE THE NEARBY RESIDENTS AND IMPOSE A THREAT ON LOCAL ORDER. THEY FUTHER EXPRESSED WORRIES THAT THE CLOSED CAMP IN SEK KONG MIGHT LATER TURN INTO AN OPENED ONE, THUS ADVERSELY AFFECTIV THE LIVELIHOOD OF THE LOCALS IN THE VICINITY. THE MAJORITY OF RESPONDENTS SUPPORTED

HOUSING THE VBP IN OUTLYING ISLANDS SO AS TO AVOID DISTURBANCE TO THE LOCALS. MOST EXPRESSED THE VIEW THAT HONG KONG PEOPLE WERE

INCREASINGLY DISSATISFIED WITH THE PRESENCE OF THE VBP AND WERE WORRIED THAT THIS MIGHT LEAD TO CONFLICTS AND ANTAGONISM BETWEEN HONG KONG PEOPLE AND THE VIETNAMESE.

4. RESPONDENTS GENERALLY MAINTAINED THAT HONG KONG SHOULD ABOLISH THE PORT OF FIRST ASYLUM POLICY AND PURSUE MANDATORY REPATRIATION TO PUT AN END TO THE VBP PROBLEM. A FEW RESPONDENTS HOWEVER WARNED THAT AS HONG KONG WAS NOW FIGHTING FOR INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT ON THE FUTURE OF THE HONG KONG PEOPLE, INCLUDING THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN THE UK, THE SCRAPPING OF THE FIRST ASYLUM POLICY AND MANDATORY REPATRIATION MIGHT DAMAGE HONG KONG'S IMAGE AND WEAKEN HONG KONG'S LOBBYING EFFORTS.

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.VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HK

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PS/LORD GLENARTHUR

PS/MR PATTEN ODA

PS MR EGGAR

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MR GILLMORE

MR SLATER

MR MCLAREN

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MRS B FAIR VSU QUEEN ANNES GTE CHOME OFFICE)

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