The World - News from July 20, 1989

Britain and Vietnam have agreed secretly to force thousands of Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong to return home, British news reports said. The Guardian newspaper said the agreement was confirmed by unidentified government officials in London and in Hong Kong; however, neither the British Foreign Office nor Hong Kong authorities would comment. The newspaper said those to be repatriated have been classified as economic rather than political refugees and that more than half the 50,000 in Hong Kong are likely to be sent back home. It said repatriations may start in a week. The British Broadcasting Corp. said the agreement has been kept secret to avoid provoking unrest among refugees in the British colony.