CONFIDENTIAL
FM HANOI
TO ROUTINE FCO
TELNO 341
OF 06050OZ JULY 89
CONFIDENTIAL
HKB 2+3/3.
51 077305 MDLIAN 4412
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
AND TO ROUTINE HONG KONG
INFO ROUTINE UKMIS GENEVA BANGKOK
VBP: REPARRIATION:
1.
MONITORING
WHEN I SAW CHUONG OF THE MINISTRY OF LABOUR YESTERDAY
HE MENTIONED TO ME THE CASE OF LE THANH A RECENT RETURNEE NOW
LIVING IN HO CHI MINH CITY. THERE HAVE APPARENTLY BEEN RUMOURS CIRCULATING IN REFUGEE CAMPS IN THAILAND TO THE EFFECT THAT ON RTTURN THANH HAD BEEN GIVEN A SIX YEAR PRISON SENTNNCE. CHUONG CLAIMED THAT THE UNHCR HAD CHECKED UP ON THANH IN HO CHI
MINH CITY AND THAT THEY WERE SATISFIED THAT HE HAD NOT BEEN IMPRISONED. THE LOCAL UNHCR OFFICE HAS CONFIRMED THIS.
2 =
AS FAR AS OUR ABILITY TO MONITOR RETURNEES IN XXXXXX IS
CONCERNED I SHOULD PERHAPS SLIGHTLY AMEND WHAT I SAID IN MY 339 OF 5 JULY. WHILST IT REMAINS THE CASE THAT WE CAN NOT PRESENTLY CONTEMPLATE MONITORING THE FATE OF RETURNEES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY WE COULD VERY OCCASIONALLY VISIT SOME OF THOSE IN THE HAI PHONG
AND HENG GAI AREAS AS WE TEND TO VISIT THIS AREA FOR OTHER OFFICIAL BUSINESS AND RECREATION. IT IS FORTUNATE THAT MANY OF
FROM THIS REGION. I MSXXXXX
THE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG COME I MUST STRESS HOWEVER THAT OUR MONITORING CAN ONLY BE VERY LIMITED AND TOKEN. WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO CONDUCT ANY SENSISBLE MONITORING
EVEN IN HANOI ONCE BOAT PEOPLE START RETURNING IN LARGE NUMBERS AT REGULAR INTERVALS. ALL THAT WILL BE POSSIBLE WILL BE THE OCCASIONAL SPOT CHECK.
PARTRIDGE
FCO PASS HONG KONG UKMIS GENEVA BANGKOK
YYYY
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CONFIDENTIAL