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CONFIDENTIAL
HKB 243/9
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117574
MDHIAN 3052
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HANOI
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 357
OF 13023OZ JULY 89
AND TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA
VBP: REPATRIATION
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YESTERDAY AFTERNOON I HAD A FURTHER TWO RATHER FRUITLESS HOURS
AT THE MINISTRY OF LABOUR. BOTH CHUONG AND TRAN LUC OF THE MINISTRY
WERE PRESENT TOGETHER WITH A LOWER LEVEL OFFICIAL OF THE MINISTRY
AND A JUNIOR REPRESENTATIVE OF THE CONSULAR DEPARTMENT OF THE MFA.
SOMETHING STRANGE IS OBVIOUSLY GOING ON ON THE VIETNAMESE SIDE. CHUONG LED FOR MOST OF OUR DISCUSSION BUT TOWARDS THE END WHEN WE WERE GETTING NOWHERE FAST LUC ANNOUNCED THAT HE WAS TAKING OVER
NEGOTIATIONS. EVERYONE WAS CLEARLY AS FRUSTRATED WITH CHUONG'S
BEHAVIOUR AS I WAS AND AS I LEFT THE MEETING THE MFA OFFICIAL TOOK OUR EMBASSY INTERPRETER ASIDE AND TOLD HIM THAT WE SHOULD NOT WORRY, LUC WOULD TAKE CHARGE FROM NOW ON. I NOW UNDERSTAND THAT CHUONG HAS
IN ANY CASE RETIRED AND IS EMPLOYED BY THE MINISTRY ON A TEMPORARY CONTRACT. HE IS IN MY OPINION IN NEED OF SOME 'RENOVATION''.
2. CHUONG HAD JUST RETURNED FROM A TRIP TO HAI PHONG AND HONG GAI
AND ALTHOUGH IT APPEARS THAT WE ARE IN SOMEWHAT OF A MUDDLE ABOUT
WHAT INFORMATION THE VIETNAMESE NEED ABOUT EACH RETURNEE AND WHEN
(MORE ANON) IT APPEARS THAT ARRANGEMENTS ARE WELL IN PLACE FOR THE FIRST BATCH. I HAVE TODAY ALSO INFORMED THE VIETNAMESE ABOUT THE
CHANGES IN THIS FIRST BATCH CHONG KONG'S MISC 482 OF 11 JULY).
3. WE STARTED OFF WITH A ROUND THE HOUSES EXCHANGE ABOUT WHO SHOULD MAKE A FRESH OFFER ABOUT MONEY. I SAID THAT I HAD REPEATEDLY
UPPED OUR OFFER WITHOUT ANY RESPONSE FROM CHUONG AND ALSO MADE OUR VIEWS ON OUR FINAL POSITION PRETTY CLEAR TO THE MFA (CHUONG WAS
OBVIOUSLY AWARE OF ANY CONVERSATION WITH PHUONG OF EUROPE II AS WELL AS AMBASSSADOR HUNG'S CALL ON COLVIN). CHUONG WENT OVER MUCH OF THE
OLD GROUND CLAIMING THAT IT HAD ALREADY BEEN AGREED TO MATCH
ESSENTIALLY THE UNHCR PACKAGE. HE ADDED THAT THE COST OF VIETNAMESE
OFFICIALS GOING TO HONG KONG HAD BEEN CALCULATED ON THEIR SIDE AS 40
DOLLARS PER RETURNEE (ON THE BASIS OF THREE OFFICIALS PER PLANE LOAD
OF SAY 100 RETURNEES THIS MAY BE QUITE REASONABLE) BUT REITERATED
HIS ARGUMENT ABOUT EXTRA ADMIN COSTS BEING NEEDED FOR NON-VOLUNTEERS.
HE THEN OFFERED A FIGURE OF 699 DOLLARS. I REPLIED THAT I DID NOT
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CONFIDENTIAL