TNAG-1904-FCO40-2706-Hong-Kong-attitudes-towards-Vietnamese-refugees-1989 — Page 12

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HKB 243/4.

TOP COPY Q DIST?

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FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 2035

OF 22090OZ JUNE 89

INFO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA, HANOI, WASHINGTON

27

036235 MDLIAN 0984

HONG KONG PRESS AND PUBLIC REACTION TO ICIR

SUMMARY

EXPECTATIONS HAD NOT BEEN HIGH: CAUTIOUS WELCOME OF OUTCOME,

PARTICULARLY REGIONAL HOLDING CENTRE. FEELING THAT PRESSURE MUST BE

KEPT UPTO SECURE ACCEPTANCE OF MANDATORY REPATRIATION: GRATEFUL FOR

TOUGH UK STANCE.

PUBLIC REACTION

2. THE PUBLIC HAD NOT EXPECTED MUCH FROM THE GENEVA CONFERENCE. NONETHELESS, THEY EXTENDED A CAUTIOUS WELCOME TO ITS ACHIEVEMENTS. THE INCREASED VR RESETTLEMENT OFFERS, THE JAPANESE OFFER OF RESETTLEMENT AND THE IDEA OF A REGIONAL HOLDING CENTRE IN PHILIPPINES WERE ALL FAVOURABLY RECEIVED. SOME DISAPPOINTMENT WAS EXPRESSED ON THE FAILURE TO REACH AN AGREEMENT ON MANDATORY REPATRIATION. MANY CONTINUE TO PRESS FOR AN END TO THE PORT OF FIRST ASYLUM POLICY, AND PUBLIC SENTIMENT REMAINS THAT OMELCO SHOULD MAINTAIN THEIR THREAT

NOT TO GRANT FURTHER FUNDS FOR THE UPKEEP OF VBPS.

3. MOST PEOPLE WERE PLEASED TO SEE THAT THE UK DELEGATION FOUGHT HARD

FOR HONG KONG AND PUT ACROSS HONG KONG'S PLIGHT TO THE INTERNATIONAL

COMMUNITY. A FEW FELT THAT AN EVEN TOUGHER STAND SHOULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN ON MANDATORY REPATRIATION.

4. US' HYPOCRISY IN OPPOSING FORCED REPATRIATION WHILE REFUSING TO SHARE THE BURDEN OF LOOKING AFTER ECONOMIC MIGRANTS HAS COME UNDER HEAVY CRITICISM LOCALLY, AS HAS VIETNAM'S RESISTANCE TOWARDS MANDATORY REPATRIATION. VIETNAM WAS THOUGHT TO BE EMPLOYING BLACKMAIL

TACTICS. THE DECISION TO HOLD BILATERAL TALKS WITH THE HANOI

GOVERNMENT WAS NOTED.

MEDIA REACTION

5. THE LOCAL MEDIA EXPRESSED DISAPPOINTMENT, BUT NOT SURPRISE, OVER THE OUTCOME OF THE CONFERENCE, WITH THE CHINESE PRESS GENERALLY ADOPTING A HARDER LINE THAN THE ENGLISH.

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