TNAG-1904-FCO40-2706-Hong-Kong-attitudes-towards-Vietnamese-refugees-1989 — Page 7

VIETNAM BOAT PEOPLE (VBP)

CONFIDENTIAL

Points to Make

1 The VBP problem in Hong Kong is attracting considerable media

attention. On the one hand, there is a widespread belief that we are about to begin mandatory repatriation to Vietnam in a secretive

fashion. On the other, there is criticism of worsening conditions

in the camps and a growing risk of ugly incidents.

2

On repatriation, the position is that we are working to return

the first group of VBP who have been through the entire screening

procedure and whose appeals have been rejected. This involves

negotiating terms with the Vietnamese bureaucracy and has taken

longer than expected. The first group is unlikely to return before the middle of August.

3 The important points are as follows:

a)

there are almost 50,000 VBP in Hong Kong and they are still

coming. This influx cannot continue;

b) all those repatriated will have completed a lengthy screening

and appeal procedure in accordance with UNCHR and international

practice;

c) the Vietnamese Government have assured us that returnees will be

treated humanely and can be monitored after return;

d) no force will be used;

We are

e) our policy is consistent with the plan agreed at the International Conference in Geneva in June which accepted that non-refugees should return to their country of origin. satisfied that the purely voluntary route cannot meet the scale of the problem;

f) re-integration assistance will be the same as is paid to volunteers by the UNCHR.

JD7AFB

CONFIDENTIAL