TNAG-1904-FCO40-2706-Hong-Kong-attitudes-towards-Vietnamese-refugees-1989 — Page 42

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HKB 243/4

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135371

MDLIAN 4464

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FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 1737

OF 29110OZ MAY 89

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INFO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON, HANOI, PEKING

MIPT: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: LETTER FROM MR ALLEN LEE

DEAR SIR GEOFFREY,

MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL HAVE ASKED ME TO WRITE TO YOU TO CONVEY THEIR GRAVE CONCERN OVER THE WORSENING VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE PROBLEM IN HONG KONG AND THE URGENT NEED TO FIND A DURABLE SOLUTION. YOU MAY BE AWARE THAT AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON 17 MAY 1989, MEMBERS PASSED THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTION:

''THAT THIS COUNCIL, CONSIDERING THAT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE SCREENING POLICY FOR VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE DEPENDS UPON THE SUCCESSFUL REPATRIATION OF ALL THOSE SCREENED OUT AS NON-REFUGEES AND THE RESETTLEMENT OF ALL REFUGEES, URGES HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT TO FULFIL ITS RESPONSIBILITY BY TAKING A LEADING ROLE IN ACTIVELY PURSUING THE EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF REPATRIATION, AND IN ACCEPTING FOR RESETTLEMENT MORE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG''.

THE HANSARD REPORT OF THE DEBATE IS ENCLOSED FOR YOUR REFERENCE.

THE RESOLUTION AND SPEECHES MADE BY MEMBERS FULLY REFLECT THE GROWING FRUSTRATION FELT BY THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY OF HONG KONG OVER THE VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE PROBLEM. WE FEEL STRONGLY THAT HMG SHOULD, AT THE COMING GENEVA CONFERENCE, PRESS FOR AN AGREEMENT ON THE ADOPTION OF MANDATORY REPATRIATION FOR THOSE VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE SCREENED OUT AS NON-REFUGEES. FURTHERMORE, WE URGE HMG TO TAKE THE LEAD IN PERSUADING OTHER COUNTRIES ATTENDING THE CONFERENCE TO ACCEPT FOR RESETTLEMENT MORE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG BY SETTING AN EXAMPLE.

AS HAD BEEN SAID BEFORE, THE CREDIBILITY OF HMG'S SINCERITY IN ENSURING EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATION OF HONG KONG UP TO 1997 WILL IN NO SMALL PART BE MEASURED BY HER ABILITY TO FIND A DURABLE SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM. WE THEREFORE HOPE YOU WILL FULLY TAKE OUR VIEWS INTO ACCOUNT AND PURSUE OUR REQUEST VIGOROUSLY AT THE GENEVA CONFERENCE.

SINCERELY YOURS

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