CONFIDENTIAL
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MDLIAN 7773
WOULD HAVE ACCESS TO RESSETTLEMENT PROCESSES.
COULD NOT TAKE PART IN
5. I SAID THAT THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES
THE SCREENING PROCESS IN HK. BUT HK WOULD BE PREPARED TO PROVIDE
THE VIETNAMESE WITH LISTS OF THOSE VBP WHO WERE FOUND TO BE
II'S
/
TO ENABLE CHECKS TO BE MADE IN VIETNAM BEFORE THEY WERE REPATRIATED. I DID NOT RULE OUT THE POSSIBILITY OF SOME LKIMITED
FORM OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FROM HMG AND HKG TO HELP WITH REINTERGRATION OF RETURNEES. BUT I COULD NOT COMMIT HMG OR HKG IN ANY WAY AND I EMPHASISED THAT IF THIS POSSIBILITY WERE TO MATERIALIZE, IT WOULD ONLY BE AS PART OF A PACKAGE TO DEAL WITH ALL ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WHO HAD ARRIVED IN HK SINCE 16 JUNE. IN IMPLEMENTING ANY SUCH PACKAGE, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO KEEP IN TOUCH WITH UNHCR, FOR INSTANCE OVER POSSIBLE MONITORING OF THE CONDITIONS OF REPATRIATION.
6. BARNES SAID THAT REPATRIATION OF SMALL GROUPS SHOULD BEGIN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, BY DIRECT CHARTER FLIGHT TO HANOI OR TO HO CHI MINH CITY, IF NECESSARY. HK POLICE OFFICERS AND IMMIGRATION DEPT STAFF WOULD ACCOMPANY THE FLIGHTS, FOR SECURITY AND FOR FORMAL HANDING OVER OF THE VBP'S TO THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES THE IMMIGRATION DEPT STAFF WOULD BE PREPARED TO HELP WITH PROCESSING IN VIETNAM IF REQUIRED. WE PROPOSED TO CONCENTRATE ON AIR TRANSPORT TO START WITH, KEEPING SEA TRANSPORT AS A POSSIBLE RESERVE.
.
·
7. IN REPLY, VU KHOAN REPEATED THAT VIETNAM FACED A VERY COMPLEX PROBLEM, WHICH IT COULD NOT SOLVE WITHOUT THE HELP OF NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES. HE WELCOMED OUR OFFER OF INFORMATION ON ILLEGAL DEPARTURES AND AGREED THAT STOPPING THE OUTFLOW WOULD BE A REAL DETERRENT. HE REITERATED THAT VIETNAM WOULD IN PRACTICE DEAL HUMANELY WITH RETURNING VBP'S BUT THAT THEY COULD NOT PUBLICISE THIS. HE STILL FELT THAT VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS COULD HELP IN THE SCREENING PROCESS IN HK, AS OBSERVERS. VU KHOAN SAID THAT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FROM THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY SHOULD BE A PRE-CONDITION FOR THE REINTEGRATION OF RETURNEES. HE AGREED THAT REPATRIATION SHOULD BEGIN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND HE ACCEPTED OUR SUGGESTED PRACTICAL ARRANGEMENTS.
8. VU KHOAN THEN SUMMARIZED POINTS OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN US
(A) THE CAUSES OF THE PROBLEM WERE COMPLEX AND DEEP-ROOTED.
(B) VIETNAM WOULD TRY TO STEM THE OUTFLOW AND WE WOULD HELP WITH INFORMATION ON PLACES, ROUTES, ETC.
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