CONFIDENTIAL
HKD 243/15 (96
нко
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO DESKBY 13010OZ HONG KONG
TELNO 2670
OF 121415Z OCTOBER 88
TOP COP Q DIST
INFO IMMEDIATE HANOI, UKMIS GENEVA, BANGKOK, KUALA LUMPUR INFO IMMEDIATE SINGAPORE, PEKING
013405
MDHOAN 6537
PART ONE OF TWO
FROM MCLAREN
MY THIRD IPT:
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG: SECOND ROUND
OF TALKS WITH VIETNAM.
DAY TWO: DISCUSSION OF THE FIRST RETURNEES AND CONCLUDING REMARKS.
SUMMARY
1. USEFUL DISCUSSION OF PRACTICAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR EARLY RETURN OF FIRST VOLUNTEERS. WE UNDERTOOK TO CONSIDER REQUEST FOR VISIT BY VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS, WITHOUT COMMITMENT. I REITERATED NEED FOR RETURN OF ALL POST 16 JUNE ARRIVALS SCREENED
OUT.
DETAIL
2.
I SAID THAT WE ATTACHED GREAT IMPORTANCE TO THE EARLY RETURN OF THOSE WHO HAD ALREADY ASKED TO GO BACK. THIS WOULD PROVIDE A CONCRETE SIGN THAT THE TWO SIDES WERE WORKING TOGETHER. IT WOULD ACT AS A DETERENT BY REINFORCING OTHER MEASURES TAKEN IN VIETNAM AND HONG KONG TO DISSUADE THOSE CONTEMPLATING LEAVING VIETNAM IN A CLANDESTINE WAY FROM DOING SO. A SMOOTH AND ORDERLY REPATRIATION OF THOSE WHO HAD ASKED TO GO BACK WOULD ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO COME FORWARD. WE HAD ALREADY HANDED THE VIETNAMESE A LIST OF 110 BOAT PEOPLE WHO HAD ASKED TO GO BACK AND WHOSE DETAILS HAD BEEN PROCESSED BY UNHCR. WE WOULD DISCUSS WITH UNHCR HOW THESE RETURNS SHOULD BEST BE MANAGED.
3. BARNES SAID WE BELIEVED THAT UNHCR WAS THE BEST AGENCY TO IMPLEMENT A REPATRIATION SCHEME. AT PRESENT ALL APPLICATIONS TO GO BACK TO VIETNAM WERE PASSED TO THE UNHCR OFFICE IN HONG KONG. UNHCR INTERVIEWED ALL APPLICANTS AND ASKED THEM TO SIGN A DECLARATION THAT THEY WERE RETURNING VOLUNTARILY. THE APPLICATIONS WERE THEN PASSED TO UNHCR (HANOI) VIA UNHCR (BANGKOK) FOR SUBMISSION TO THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT. ON ACCEPTANCE BY THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT, UNHCR (HONG KONG) WOULD
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