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010143 MDHOAN 6425
SETTLEMENT SHOULD INCLUDE:
(A) THE PHASED RETURN TO VIETNAM OF ALL BOAT PEOPLE WHO WERE NOT REFUGEES. WE ACCEPTED THAT VIETNAM COULD NOT BE EXPECTED TO TAKE THEM ALL BACK AT ONCE AND THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO BE RETURNED IN AN ORDERLY FASHION.
(B) PRACTICAL ARRANGEMENTS, INVOLVING UNHCR AS WELL AS THE VIETNAMESE AND HONG KONG AUTHORITIES TO FACILITATE AN ORDERLY PROGRAMME OF RETURNS.
(C) ASSURANCES THAT THOSE WHO WERE RETURNED WOULD BE WELL TREATED ON ARRIVAL AND NOT SUBJECTED TO PERSECUTION OR REPRISAL. (D) ARRANGEMENTS TO MONITOR THOSE WHO RETURNED, PERHAPS BY UNHCR.
4. I SAID THE VIETNAMESE SIDE WOULD NO DOUBT WISH TO INCLUDE A FURTHER ELEMENT, NAMELY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO HELP WITH REINTEGRATION OF THOSE WHO RETURNED. AT THE FIRST ROUND OF TALKS IN HANOI IN AUGUST WE SAID THAT WE DID NOT RULE OUT THE POSSIBILITY OF SOME LIMITED FORM OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FROM THE BRITISH AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENTS TO HELP WITH THE REINTEGRATION OF THOSE WHO RETURN. WE HAD GIVEN FURTHER THOUGHT TO THIS QUESTION. PROVIDED THAT THE TWO SIDES REACHED AGREEMENT ON A COMPREHENSIVE ARRANGEMENT TO COVER THE RETURN TO VIETNAM OF ALL BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG WHO WERE NOT REFUGEES WE WOULD BE PREPARED TO CONTEMPLATE A MODEST SCHEME FOR REINTEGRATION ASSISTANCE. I EMPHASISED THAT ANY SUCH SCHEME WOULD HAVE TO BE LIMITED IN NATURE. WE KNEW THAT UNHCR HAD BEEN DISCUSSING THIS ISSUE WITH THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT AND WE BELIEVED THAT IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO DEVELOP ANY PROGRAMME FOR REINTEGRATION ASSISTANCE UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE UNHCR.
SUBSEQUENT EXCHANGES.
5
KHOAN REFERRED TO THE AGREEMENT REACHED WITH MALAYSIA BUT SAID THAT HE DID NOT CONSIDER THIS AS A MODEL BECAUSE THE SITUATION WITH HONG KONG WAS DIFFERENT. ANY AGREEMENT WITH US SHOULD TAKE FULL ACCOUNT OF THE HUMANITARIAN ASPECTS AND SHOULD BE BASED ON THE FOLLOWING PRINCIPLES:
(A) VOLUNTARISM
(B)
(C)
CO-OPERATION ON ALL SIDES
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
(D) A REQUEST TO THIRD COUNTRIES TO ACCELERATE THE ORDERLY DEPARTURE PROGRAMME AND TO HELP RESETTLE THOSE ALREADY IN HONG KONG.
6.
KHOAN NOTED THAT THERE WERE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE POSITIONS OF THE TWO SIDES BUT ALSO SOME DIFFERENCES. WE SHOULD FIRST AGREE ON A COMPREHENSIVE SETTLEMENT AND THEN CONCENTRATE ON DETAILED REPATRIATION ARRANGEMENTS. HE HOPED THAT
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