UNCLASSIFIED
FEB 26/7
RECEN
DEC
12 APR 1990
1026/7
031226 MDHIAN 9819
(30
TOP COP
Q DIST ?
UNCLASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 834
OF 06113OZ MARCH 90
N
INFO PRIORITY WASHINGTON, HANOI, UKMIS GENEVA
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE:
VISIT BY BRITISH COUNCIL OF CHURCHES DELEGATION
A DELEGATION FROM THE BRITISH COUNCIL OF CHURCHES, LED BY THE ARCHBISHOP OF YORK, VISITED HONG KONG BETWEEN 25 FEBRUARY AND 5 MARCH. DURING THEIR VISIT THEY WERE BRIEFED ON THE VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE PROBLEM AND VISITED THE CAPE COLINSON DETENTION CENTRE. THE DELEGATION GAVE A PRESS CONFERENCE YESTERDAY (5 MARCH) DURING WHICH THE ARCHBISHOP, DR HABGOOD:
A) EXPRESSED SUPPORT FOR MANDATORY REPATRIATION ('IT HAS GOT TO BE CONTINUED BECAUSE OF THE VERY LARGE NUMBER OF BOAT PEOPLE WHO CANNOT CLAIM REFUGEE STATUS').
B) CRITICISED THE U.S. POSITION ('AMERICA INDULGES IN MANDATORY REPATRIATION OF PEOPLE WHO TRY TO CROSS THE SOUTHERN BORDER AND HONG KONG ALREADY REPATRIATES PEOPLE TO CHINA - THERE IS NO
ESSENTIAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS AND THE MANDATORY REPATRIATION OF VIETNAMESE').
C) SUPPORTED MAINTENANCE OF FIRST ASYLUM IN HONG KONG ('WE CANNOT AS A HUMANE PEOPLE SIMPLY TURN BOATS BACK AGAIN').
D) PRESSED FOR RESUMPTION OF TRADE AND AID TO VIETNAM ALONG WITH AN INFORMATION CAMPAIGN TO DISSUADE BOAT PEOPLE ('PART OF THE OVERALL PACKAGE MUST BE TO OPEN THE EYES ON THE VIETNAMESE PEOPLE, BUT IT IS IMPORTANT IN THE LONG TERM TO BUILD UP AID AND TRADE').
E) PRESSED FOR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE DETENTION CENTRES ('IT IS WRONG PEOPLE SHOULD CONTINUE TO LIVE IN SQUALOR').
WILSON
YYYY
1
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