TNAG-2072-FCO40-2951-Vietnamese-boat-people-arriving-in-Hong-Kong-from-Macau-coop-1990 — Page 21

CONFIDENTIAL

HKB

2+3/29

104564 MDLOAN 9376

20 MAR 1990

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO PRIORITY HONG KONG

TELNO 606

OF 201445Z MARCH 90

INFO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA, LISBON

INFO ROUTINE HANOI

2

REGISTRY

Teksa!

VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: MACAO

1. TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE THE LAST OCCASION WHEN THE VBP ISSUE WAS DISCUSSED WITH THE PORTUGUESE WAS IN JUNE OF LAST YEAR, SHORTLY BEFORE THE ICIR. (LISBON TELNO 152 TO FCO OF 1989 REFERS). THE INTERLOCUTOR THEN, SOARES, HEAD OF THE MULTILATERAL RELATIONS DEPARTMENT IN THE MFA, DEFENDED MACAO'S POLICY BY ARGUING THAT:

(A) HONG KONG WAS THE VBP'S INTENDED DESTINATION.

(B)

HONG KONG WAS KNOWN AMONG THE VBP AS A SORT OF PROMISED LAND WHERE ALL WOULD BE WELL.

(C) ONLY HONG KONG HAD AGREEMENTS WITH THIRD COUNTRIES TO RESETTLE VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.

PEOPLE'S INTENDED DESTINATION THEY REGARD HONG KONG MERELY AS

2. (A) WAS NEVER TRUE. THE BOAT IS USUALLY THE UNITED STATES, AND AN IMPORTANT STEPPING STONE. (B) CEASED TO BE TRUE ONCE SCREENING WAS INTRODUCED IN JUNE 1988. AND (C) WAS CHANGED BY THE ICIR, WHICH PORTUGAL ATTENDED AND WHICH INTER ALIA ASSURED RESETTLEMENT PLACES FOR ALL GENUINE REFUGEES FROM THE REGION.

3.

THE PORTUGUESE POSITION AT THAT TIME WAS THAT A GLOBAL SOLUTION SHOULD BE FOUND. THAT SOLUTION WAS MAPPED OUT AT THE ICIR IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF ACTION. BUT THE UNITED STATES AND VIETNAM CONTINUE TO PREVENT ITS FULL IMPLEMENTATION. THE TIME MAY THEREFORE HAVE COME FOR ANOTHER APPROACH TO THE PORTUGUESE TO SEE IF THEY WOULD BE WILLING TO OFFER ANY HELP.

4.

BEFORE WE RAISE THIS WITH THE PORTUGUESE AGAIN, WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD PROVIDE DETAILS OF THE NUMBER OF NEW ARRIVALS IN RECENT MONTHS WHO HAVE STAGED THROUGH MACAO ON THE WAY TO HONG KONG. WE SEE FROM THE STATISTICS THAT THE CURRENT CASELOAD OF VBP IN MACAO IS 366, AND THAT SO FAR THIS YEAR, 4 HAVE BEEN RESETTLED TO CANADA. THE MACAO AUTHORITIES

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CONFIDENTIAL