CONFIDENTIAL
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MDHIAN 4378
AGREEMENT HAS YET BEEN REACHED.
8. WE SUGGEST THAT OUR LINE TO THE VIETNAMESE SHOULD BE THAT WE NOW HAVE A MUCH LARGER GROUP WHOSE APPEALS HAVE BEEN TURNED DOWN: THAT WE NEED CAREFULLY TO SELECT THE COMPOSITION OF THE FIRST GROUP OF RETURNEES IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE OUR MUTUAL AIM THAT REPATRIATION SHOULD NOT BE FORCIBLE: THAT WE NEED TO SELECT FROM A LARGER POOL FOR THIS PURPOSE TO AS TO HAVE A GROUP OF 30 TO 50 FOR THE FIRST EXERCISE AND THAT WE NEED TO BE SATISFIED THAT EFFECTIVE MONITORING CAN BE PUT IN PLACE. WE CAN ALSO CLAIM THAT THE ARRANGEMENTS WE HAD MADE TO CHARTER AN AIRCRAFT LAST WEEK HAVE NOW FALLEN THROUGH, AND THAT IT WILL TAKE SOME TIME TO PUT THESE IN PLACE AGAIN.
9. WE ARE VERY GRATEFUL FOR YOUR AND WASHINGTON'S EFFORT TO PERSUAD
THE AMERICANS TO BE LESS NEGATIVE. WE HOPE THAT A DELAY WILL NOT MAKE THINGS MORE DIFFICULT FOR YOU: INDEED THAT IT MAY HAVE CERTAIN
ADVANTAGES. A POSTPONEMENT TO LATE AUGUST SHOULD BE HELPFUL IN THE CONTEXT OF CONGRESSIONAL REACTIONS. WE SUGGEST THAT OUR LINE WITH THE AMERICANS SHOULD BE THAT FINAL AGREEMENT ON DETAIL WITH THE
VIETNAMESE IS TAKING LONGER THAN ANTICIPATED, AND THAT THERE HAS CONSEQUENTLY BEEN A DELAY IN THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE FIRST RETURN.
WILSON
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
109
DISTRIBUTION
115
.VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HK
LIMITED
HKD
SEAD
UND
LEGAL ADVISERS
PUSD
ECD (E)
FED
NAD
NEWS
INFO D
FINANCE D
RMD
PS
PS/LORD GLENARTHUR
PS/MR PATTEN ODA
PS MR EGGAR
PS/PUS
MR GILLMORE
MR SLATER
MR MCLAREN
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