CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 27110OZ FCO
TELNO 2875
OF 271005Z SEPTEMBER 90
AND TO IMMEDIATE PEKING
INFO ROUTINE UKREP JLG HONG KONG
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
Ms.
3
062261
MDHIAN 1543
HKB 011 17
PERSONAL FOR PAUL FROM GOVERNOR
PEKING PERSONAL FOR AMBASSADOR
SECOND IPT: ADDRESS TO LEGCO: 10 OCTOBER: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE
BEGINS:
24. MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL NEED NO REMINDING OF THE FACT THAT THE PROBLEM OF THE VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IS STILL WITH US. BUT THE PICTURE IS NOT AS BLEAK AS IT WAS THIS TIME LAST YEAR. LAST OCTOBER, I HAD TO REPORT THE ARRIVAL OF 34,000 VIETNAMESE, THE HIGHEST NUMBER IN ANY YEAR SINCE 1979. SINCE THEN, OUR EFFORTS AND THOSE OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM HAVE PRODUCED RESULTS.
25. ARRIVALS SO FAR THIS YEAR HAVE DROPPED SHARPLY, TO LESS THAN ONE IN SIX OF THE NUMBER DURING THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR. THE CAREFUL OPERATION OF OUR SCREENING PROCEDURES: THE VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION SCHEME: THE PUBLICITY EFFORT IN VIETNAM: AND THE MANDATORY REPATRIATION FLIGHT LAST DECEMBER HAVE ALL GIVEN POTENTIAL BOAT PEOPLE AN UNAMBIGUOUS MESSAGE - THE DAYS OF AUTOMATIC RESETTLEMENT THROUGH HONG KONG ARE OVER.
26. TAKING THE CAMP POPULATION AS A WHOLE REFUGEES AND PEOPLE WHO DO NOT HAVE REFUGEE STATUS THERE HAS BEEN A NET OUTFLOW OF OVER 2,700 SINCE MY LAST ANNUAL ADDRESS. THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR SINCE 1986 WHEN THE NUMBERS IN HONG KONG HAVE ACTUALLY GONE DOWN. THE RESETTLEMENT PROGRAMME FOR REFUGEES IS ON TARGET. WE EXPECT OVER 7,000 TO LEAVE THIS YEAR. AND OVER 4,400 HAVE RETURNED TO VIETNAM OVER THE PAST 18 MONTHS, THAT IS SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION SCHEME.
27.
THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY WILL CONTINUE TO BE DIRECTED TOWARDS THE FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 1989 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF
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CONFIDENTIAL
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