CONFIDENTIAL
AKB
243 ja
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE HANOI
TELNO MISC 653
OF 041145Z AUGUST 89
INFO IMMEDIATE FCO
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
18+
002534
MDHIAN 5693
183,
OUR TELNO 2561 TO FCO: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: REPATRIATION.
NOTICES OF REJECTION OF APPEAL HAVE BEEN SERVED TO 240 PEOPLE OVER THE PAST THREE DAYS. FROM THIS GROUP WE HAVE IDENTIFIED 114 PEOPLE WHO MAY BE PREPARED TO ACQUIESCE IN REPATRIATION. THE PERSONAL DETAILS OF THIS GROUP WILL BE SENT TO YOU BY UNCLASSIFIED TELEGRAMS TODAY AND WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD PASS THIS INFORMATION ON TO THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES. THE COMPLETED FORMS AND PHOTOGRAPHS WILL LEAVE HONG KONG FOR HANOI BY BAG ON 9 AUGUST.
2. WE SHALL NOW FOCUS OUR EFFORTS ON SELECTING A GROUP OF ABOUT 20-40 PEOPLE FROM THE NAMES ON THIS LIST. THE COUNSELLING AND ASSESSMENT WORK TO ENABLE US TO MAKE THIS SELECTION IS ALREADY UNDERWAY. WE HAVE ALSO ASKED UNHCR TO START ITS VOLUNTARY REPATRIAT- ION COUNSELLING IMMEDIATELY. WE INTEND TO ALLOW UNHCR TWO WEEKS TO COMPLET THEIR COUNSELLING WORK AND WE HOPE THAT THIS WILL BE SUFFICIENT TIME TO ALLOW THE VIETNAMESE TO CLEAR THE 114 NAMES ON
THE LIST.
3. WE AIM TO MAKE A FINAL SELECTION OF 20-40 PEOPLE ON ABOUT 18 AUGUST AND TO MOVE THOSE SELECTED, PROBABLY TO PHOENIX HOUSE, DURING THE WEEK BEGINNING 21 AUGUST. IN THE MEANTIME WE SHALL CONTINUE OUR COUNSELLING AND ASSESSMENT WORK WITH THE FIRST GROUP ALREADY AT PHOENIX HOUSE WITH A VIEW TO DECIDING ON ABOUT 18 AUGUST WHICH OF THESE PEOPLE SHOULD JOIN THE FINAL REPATRIATION GROUP.
WILSON
YYYY
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CONFIDENTIAL