From the Private Secretary
CONFIDENTIAL
DIE
PT MON
10 DOWNING STREET
LONDON SWIA 2AA
Dear Stepen,
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE
SEAD
Jo
Asps/lls, Chatha Ps/th heave Muhade
B/Lad Halona
PS/PUJ Machete
u Allese
1 November 198
Милена
Mlidisten Hla Kaser
и Нина, почна одгле
Head MAD
The Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary had a brief discussion this evening of the problem of Vietnamese boat people in Hong Kong.
The Foreign Secretary said that Mr. Waldegrave had returned from the United States with the impression that the US Administration and Congress were likely to cause us very considerable difficulty if we resorted to compulsory repatriation. This was something we would have to face: there was no realistic alternative to compulsory repatriation.
Vki
The
issue could arise quite soon as there were now a group of some 62 boat people awaiting repatriation. We would need to take a decision on the timing of their return. Clearly it would be better to wait at least until after the Prince of Wales' visit to Hong Kong. Should we also wait until after the Prime Minister's visit to Washington on 24 November?
The Prime Minister agreed that there was no realistic alternative to compulsory repatriation. But it would be very important to secure the most effective possible monitoring by UNHCR, together with assurances from the Vietnamese that those returned would not be victimised. As regards the timing, it would be best for her to inform the President during her visit to Washington that we intended to go ahead with compulsory repatriation and explain to him the various measures we were taking to ensure that those returned would be reasonably treated. This would give us an opportunity to soften American opposition, although it would be inevitable that the Administration would come out against us on this. It would be an emotional reaction based on the fact that they had lost 55,000 young men in Vietnam. She concluded, therefore, that we delay repatriation until after her visit but be ready to proceed fairly soon afterwards provided there were credible arrangements in place for monitoring by the UNHCR.
U...
C. D. POWELL>
til
J.S. Wall, Esq.,
Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
CONFIDENTIAL