CONFIDENTIAL
po
B
C
met and sketched out a scheme which was firmed up during
negotiations in Hanoi on 26 June. The agreement reached in Hanoi was endorsed by Sir Geoffrey and Mr Thach when they met in London on
28 June.
4. The terms of the Agreement included an undertaking by the
Vietnamese Government that they would treat the repatriatees
humanely and that they would not be punished for leaving Vietnam
clandestinely. The Vietnamese Government agreed to allow the
British Government or its representatives access to monitor the
condition of the repatriatees. Both Governments would welcome
monitoring by the UNHCR, but the Commissioner, Hocké, is firmly opposed to involving his officers in anything other than fully voluntary repatriation.
5. In detailed subsequent negotiations we provided the Vietnamese
Government with full details of some 27 of their citizens who would
form the first group to go back on 17 July. However, the Vietnamese proved intractable over the question of the level of reintegration assistance which we were to pay them. They have just agreed a level
of US$620 a head for the first group along with the terms of a draft
agreed minute (Hanoi telno 394).
6.
D
E
Subject to some minor textual amendments we and Hong Kong are
content. However, there is now a delay from the Hong Kong end. The
Hong Kong Government (Hong Kong telno 2467) had thought they had
identified a suitably large group from the first batch to have had their screening appeals rejected. But the group learnt of our plans
from leaks in the media and has consequently reduced to no more than
a dozen (Hong Kong telno 2561). Hong Kong have therefore suggested
that it would be tactically wise to delay signature of the agreed
minute until they can put together a larger group. We are
considering this and consulting Hanoi overnight.
PK C Thomas