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033646
MDHIAN 4330
CONFIDENTIAL
MKA 2+3/8
TOP COPY
DIST ?
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 4470
OF 05104OZ DECEMBER 88
INFO IMMEDIATE HANQI, UKMIS GENEVA
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HANOI TELNOS 455 AND 456, UKMIS GENEVA TELNO 773 AND MY
TELNO 4421: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG: REPATRIATION
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1. OUR INTENTION IN FOURTH TUR WAS TO EXPLAIN WHAT WOULD BE REQUIRED IF WE WERE TO MEET OUR AGREED OBJECTIVE OF RETURNING
THE FIRST GROUP BY THE END OF THE YEAR. THE ARRANGEMENTS WE HAVE DESCRIBED ARE THE STANDARD UNHCR ARRANGEMENTS FOR REPATRIATION WHICH
HAVE BEEN USED IN ALL PREVIOUS CASES.
2. WE RECOGNISE THE NEED TO COMPLETE THE UNHCR/VIETNAM MOU BEFORE THE FIRST GROUP RETURNS: BUT WE DO NOT SEE THE NEGOTIATIONS ON THE MOU AND PREPARATORY WORK ON THE PRACTICAL ARRANGEMENTS AS BEING MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE. WE ARE DISAPPOINTED THAT UNHCR HAVE NOT UNDERTAKEN EVEN BASIC RESEARCH ON SUCH MATTERS AS AIRCRAFT AVAILABILITY AND COSTS (FOR CHARTER OR SCHEDULED FLIGHTS). WITHOUT THIS THEY WILL NOT BE IN A POSITION TO RESPOND QUICKLY ONCE THE MOU IS CONCLUDED.
3. PARAGRAPH 4 OF FIRST TUR REFERS TO THE AVAILABILITY OF SEATS ON
THE BANGKOK/HANOI ROUTE. THE FIGURES OF 25 AND 60 WERE BASED ON THE
AIRLINE'S ESTIMATE OF AVAILABILITY TO ICM.
4. WE HAVE THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS ON THE TEXT IN SECOND TUR:
(A) PARAGRAPH 1: TITLE. WE SHOULD PREFER TO DELETE THE WORD VOLUNTARY FROM THE TITLE BUT WE AGREE WITH HANOI'S SUGGESTION AS A FALLBACK.
(B) PARAGRAPH 1A: WE AGREE THAT WE NEED A FULLER STATEMENT OF THE AGREEMENT REACHED DURING THE SECOND ROUND OF TALKS IN LONDON. WE THINK HANOI'S SUGGESTED WORDING IS ON THE RIGHT LINES BUT WOULD PREFER SIMPLY TO USE THE WORDING AGREED AFTER THE SECOND ROUND, I.E. HANOI'S WORDING PLUS A REFERENCE TO THE RETURN OF ALL VBPS
IN HONG KONG WHO DO NOT QUALIFY FOR RESETTLEMENT.
(C) PARAGRAPH 2B. WE THINK THE REFERENCE TO THE UNHCR OFFICE IN
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