CONFIDENTIAL
4/CK 243/5
- 8 FEB 1983
BA
51608
RR UKMIS NEW YORK
RR WASHINGTON
GRS 395
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO 04181OZ FEB 83
TO PRIORITY HANOI
TELEGRAM NUMBER 40 OF 4 FEBRUARY
INFO HONG KONG, UKMIS GENEVA, UKMIS NEW YORK,
WASHINGTON
FROM SEAD
OUR TELNO 3:
REPATRIATION OF VIETNAMESE
1. THE SECRETARY OF STATE HAS RESERVATIONS ABOUT THE IDEA OF REPATRIATION. EVEN IF WE WERE TO QET APPARENTLY SATISFACTORY ASSURANCES FROM THE VIETNAMESE THESE WOULD INEVITABLY LACK CREDIBILITY, GIVEN VIETNAM'S IMAGE AND RECORD. BEFORE DECIDINO WHETHER WE SHOULD EXPLORE WITH CO THACH THE POSSIBILITY OF ENCOURAGING VOLUNTARY REPATRIATIONS TO VIETNAM, THE SECRETARY OF STATE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE YOUR ASSESSMENT OF:
A) CURRENT VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT ATTITUDES TOWARDS BOAT PEOPLE OR ILLEGAL EMIQRANTS'. MR TONKIN'S LETTER TO BURNS OF 2 MARCH LAST YEAR QUOTED VO DONO GIANO AS SAYING THEY SHOULD NOT EXPECT TO RETURN AND WOULD NOT BE WELCOME. CANNOT ASSUME SOLELY ON THE STRENGTH OF CO THACH'S EXPRESSED
E
WILLINGNESS TO DISCUSS WAYS OF CURBING THE REFUGEE OUTFLOW THAT THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT WOULD WELCOME BACK VOLUNTARY REPATRIATIONS AS PART OF THE PROCESS.
B) THE RISK THAT ANY SUCCESSFUL ENCOURAGEMENT OF VOLUNTARY REPATRIATIONS WOULD ACTUALLY INCREASE THE OUTFLOW ESPECIALLY OF ECONOMICALLY MOTIVATED OPPORTUNISTS WHO FELT THEY HAD NOTHING TO LOSE. IT MIGHT NOT IN ANY CASE APBEAR COMPATIBLE WITH PAST EFFORTS TO GET THE VIETNAMESE TO 'CRACK DOWN' ON
ILLEGAL DEPARTURES.
1
CONFIDENTIAL
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