30
CONFIDENTIAL
MKD 243/12
141
055425
MDLIAN 1198
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HANOI
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 465
OF 120417Z DECEMBER 88
(139)
HOI OUR TELNO 295: ODP
Л
1. I AM AFRAID THAT MY VIEW IS THAT TO RAISE THE
QUESTION OF REGULATING THE FLOW OF ODP PEOPLE WITH
THE VIETNAMESE AT THIS POINT COULD HAVE IMPLICATIONS FOR
THE HK REPATRIATION PROCESS. WE MUST BEAR IN MIND THAT (I) WE HAVE FOR YEARS BEEN ROUNDLY CRITICISING THE VIETNAMESE FOR NOT INCREASING THE FLOW (II) THEIR BUREAUCRACY IS GROTESQUELY INEFFICIENT PARTICULARALY WHERE COOPERATION IS REQUIRED BETWEEN DEPARTMENTS AND DIFFERENT LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT, (III) THEY ARE SUSPICIOUS OF US (VIDE THEIR NEED FOR A UK/VIETNAM MOU ON REPATRIATION) AND (IV) THEY WILL SIMPLY NOT UNDERSTAND HOW A COUNTRY AS RICH AS THE UK COULD POSSIBLY HAVE DIFFICULTY IN COPING WITH A SMALL IF IRREGULAR FLOW OF IMMIGRANTS.
ARE SU
2. HOWEVER IF THE IMPERATIVES AT YOUR END ARE SUCH THAT YOU NEED AT LEAST TO BE ABLE TO SAY THAT I HAVE RAISED THE MATTER WITH THE VIETNAMESE, I SHALL DO SO ALBEIT WITH CONSIDERABLE MISGIVINGS. YOUR PROPOSAL THAT I SHOULD AWAIT SIGNATURE OF UNHCR / VIETNAM MOU AND UK/VIETNAM MOU BEFORE ACTING SUGGESTS THAT YOU SHARE MY MISGIVINGS TO SOME EXTENT.
DAVIES
YYYY
DISTRIBUTION
96
ΜΑΙΝ
鼈
91
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HK
LIMITED
NEWS
PS
PS/LORD GLENARTHUR PS/MR PATTEN ODA
PS MR EGGAR PS/PUS
HKD
SEAD
UND
LEGAL ADVISERS
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