CONFIDENTIAL
HKD 24,319
(194)
034456 MDHIAN 3189
CONFIDENTIAL
FM WASHINGTON
TO FCO DESKBY 0409OOZ
TELNO 1225
OF 032332Z MAY 89
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
INFO PRIORITY UKMIS NEW YORK, HANOI, UKMIS GENEVA
193
HONG KONG TELNO 1397: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE
1. THE AMERICAN RESPONSE
TO THE POINT IN PARA 2 OF TUR WOULD BE THAT WHAT THEY ARE PROPOSING IS AN INITIATIVE TO CLEAR THE BACKLOG OF BOAT PEOPLE (MOSTLY LONG STAYERS) WHO ARRIVED BEFORE THE IMPOSITION OF THE CUT-OFF DATE. THIS IS A FINITE POPULATION, ESTIMATED CACCORDING TO THE AMERICANS) BY THE UNCHR AT 52,590. THE AMERICANS WOULD ARGUE THAT SINCE ALL VIETNAMESE ARRIVING NOW ARE SUBJECT TO SCREENING PROCEDURES, THERE SHOULD BE NO QUOTE PULL FACTOR UNQUOTE PROVIDED THE VIETNAMESE PUBLICISE ADEQUATELY THE FACT THAT ALL WHO NOW LEAVE WILL BE SUBJECT
TO SCREENING.
2.
IT IS CLEARLY POSSIBLE THAT THIS LATTER MESSAGE WILL MAKE ·
LESS IMPACT THAN NEWS OF A NEW RE-SETTLEMENT INITIATIVE BY WESTERN COUNTRIES. BUT THE AMERICANS SEE THE RESIDUAL, PRE CUT-OFF DATE POPULATION AS IN A SEPARATE CATEGORY AND BELIEVE THAT
THEY MUST DEAL WITH THIS IF THEY ARE TO PRESERVE FIRST ASYLUM.
ACLAND
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
96
DISTRIBUTION
102
.VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HK
LIMITED
HKD
SEAD
UND
LEGAL ADVISERS
PUSD
ECD (E)
FED
NEWS
PS
PAGE
PS/LORD GLENARTHUR
PS/MR PATTEN ODA
PS MR EGGAR
PS/PUS
MR GILLMORE
MR SLATER
MR MCLAREN
1
CONFIDENTIAL
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