CONFIDENTIAL
134507
MDHIAN 3769
IN THE FIRST FLIGHT AND I ASKED FOR HIS VIEWS OF A DATE. HE WENT OVER THE GROUND THAT:
(A)
ONLY NOW DID THE MINISTRY OF INTERIOR HAVE THE FULL DOCUMENTATION AND PHOTOGRAPHS:
(B) THE LOCALITIES WERE BEING DIFFICULT ABOUT IDENTIFYING AND ACCEPTING THE RETURNEES:
(C) THE VIETNAMESE SIDE HAD NOT YET PREPARED THE LIST CONFIRMING THOSE THAT THEY WOULD ACCEPT IN THE FIRST BATCH AS AGREED IN THE ANNEXE TO THE 26 JUNE PAPER.
5. I SAID THAT GIVEN THE POLITICAL WILL ON BOTH SIDES TO PROCEED QUICKLY I DID NOT EXPECT THESE FACTORS TO DELAY THE FIRST FLIGHT ALTHOUGH THEY WERE RELEVANT FOR THE WHOLE PROGRAMME. IN PARTICULAR I HOPED THAT THERE WOULD BE NO QUESTION OF THE VIETNAMESE NOT ACCEPTING ALL 23 ON OUR CURRENT LIST. CHUONG EVENTUALLY SAID THAT IT WAS UP TO THE MFA TO SET A DATE AND HE REFERRED TO MY RECENT CONVERSATION WITH KHANH OF CONSULAR DEPARTMENT WHEN THE LATTER HAD SUGGESTED A FLIGHT 3-5 DAYS AFTER AGREEMENT ON MONEY.
6
I SAID THAT I WOULD BE PREPARED TO MEET AGAIN ANY TIME AFTER 2003OOZ.
LE THO, THE DIRECTOR OF THE CONSULAR DEPARTMENT OF THE MFA, IS CURRENTLY DOWN TO LEAD THE DELEGATION TO THE BANGKOK STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING.
PARTRIDGE
FCO PASS DESKBY 1909OOZ HONG KONG
FCO PASS IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA
YYYY
DISTRIBUTION
115
ΜΑΙΝ
109
.VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HK
LIMITED
INFO D
FINANCE D
HKD
RMD
SEAD
PS
PAGE
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CONFIDENTIAL