TNAG-1969-FCO40-2802-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation-1989 — Page 98

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FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 235

OF 23080OZ JANUARY 89

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

21

9

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012341 MDHIAN 9468

FCO TELNO 43 TO PEKING AND OUR TELNO 200: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG: LI HOU'S REMARKS

PA SPOKE TO JI SHAOXIANG ON 20 JANUARY ON THE LINES IN SECOND TUR ADDING THAT AN APPROACH WAS ALSO BEING MADE IN PEKING.

2. JI SAID THAT LI'S REMARKS HAD BEEN MADE AS A RESPONSE TO REPORTERS' QUESTIONS. THERE HAD BEEN NO MISUNDERSTANDING AS THE CHINESE FULLY UNDERSTOOD OUR POLICY. SINCE 16 JUNE HKG HAD SCREENED VIETNAMESE ARRIVALS AND ONLY A FEW WERE REFUGEES. HOWEVER, THEY UNDERSTOOD THAT UNHCR HAD RESERVATIONS OVER THE SCREENING PROCESS AND NONE HAD SO FAR BEEN SUCCESSFULLY SENDT BACK. INDEED MORE WERE STILL COMING. THIS WAS A VERY HEAVY BURDEN FOR HONG KONG ESPECIALLY AS FOREIGN COUNTRIES WERE REDUCING THEIR OFF-TAKE. THE DECISION TO LIBERALISE CLOSED CAMPS COULD ENCOURAGE EVEN MORE BOAT PEOPLE TO

COME TO HONG KONG.

3. THE NEW MEASURES HAD CAUSED PHSYCHOLOGICAL AND OTHER PROBLEMS ON VIETNAMESE FARMS IN CHINA. THE TWO SIDES HAD COOPERATED IN MID-1987 TO RETURN ECVIIS WHICH HAD COST THE CHINESE A LOT OF MONEY. THE CPG ANDLOCAL GOVERNMENTS HAD TAKEN VARIOUS MEASURES TO STOP THEM LEAVING AND TELLING THEM THAT THERE WAS NO HOPE FOR THEIR RESETTLEMENT FROM HONG KONG BUT SOME STILL CHERISHED HOPES. THEY THEREFORE HOPED WE WOULD ENACT LIBERALISATION VERY CAUTIOUSLY AND WOULD TAKE NO ACTION WHICH WOULD CAUSE ANY UNREST IN CHINA. THE CHINESE SIDE HAD MADE CLEAR TO US THEIR CONCERN THAT THE PROBLEM SHOULD BE CLEARED UP

BEFORE 1997.

4. PA STRESSED THAT THE OBJECTIVE OF THE JUNE MEASURES WAS TO STRENGTHEN DETERRENCE. THE AIM OF ''LIBERALISATION'' WAS ON THE ONE HAND TO RELIEVE THE BURDEN ON HONG KONG AND ON THE OTHER TO IMPROVE

THE PROSPECTS FOR RESETTLEMENT. WE HAD MADE CLEAR THAT FOR HONG KONGS

SAKE WE INTENDED TO DEAL WITH THE MATTER WELL BEFORE 1997.

5. JI COMPLAINED THAT THEY HAD NOT HEARD BEFOREHAND OF THE NEW

LIBERALISATION MEASURES BUT HAD DISCOVERED ABOUT THEM IN THE PRESS.

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