CONFIDENTIAL
CABINET: 30 NOVEMBER
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE
Oi fryers sertED
be her coo Screened out
- Concluded our Agreement with Vietnamese on 22 November (provides assurances of non-punishment, monitoring by HMG or UNHCR and financial assistance on exactly the same terms as with voluntary
returns)
Sect
Now aiming for first non-voluntary return on 12 December. Final
date has yet to be agreed with Vietnamese.
Cathay Pacific have agreed to provide an aircraft (Tristar).
Believe this would be on balance preferable to using RAF.
Operation would take place in the early hours, Hong Kong time. Flight would thus leave Hong Kong at 9 pm our time on 11 December.
Flight lasts approximately 2 hours.
Take off from Hanoi for return
flight would be about 1 am our time.
Monitoring initially by Embassy in Hanoi Arranging visit of MPs to Vietnam a few weeks after operation. Continuing effort to
persuade UNHCR and NGOs to undertake monitoring.
though not all hostite
- Must expect very strong reaction from media, Parliament and
internationally when news breaks. Action in hand to deal with this;
am briefing key editors; rallying support on our side of the House; instructing our Embassies to give robust defence of our policy; plan
to make statement to the House on the day.
the
provat sure of new arrivals
Papers carry reports of statement by Vietnamese Foreign Minister opposing "forcible" repatriation. This is no more than a statement of
their consistent line. We are saying that Hong Kong authorities have much experience of deporting illegal immigrants to China; and that internationally accepted deportation procedures will be used in
this case.
Toda
Tension in camps in Hong Kong high. Disturbance at Sek Kong and some people refusing food (but well short of full hunger strike).
ROEAAX
They are corried about CONFIDENTIAL force. We hope in practice to avoid it.