CONFIDENTIAL
45
075162
MDHIAN 2052
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 2235
OF 051230Z JULY 89
AND TO IMMEDIATE HANOI
INFO IMMEDIATE GENEVA
140
14KB 243/3
TOP COPY Q DIST?
YOUR TELNO 233 to HANOI: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: REPATRIATION
1. WE ARE VERY GRATEFUL FOR YOUR AGREEMENT TO ASSIST WITH THE
COSTS OF REPATRIATION ON A 50:50 BASIS. WE AGREE TO MATCH YOUR CONTRIBUTION. HOWEVER, WE DO NOT WISH TO MAKE A FORMAL APPROACH TO FINANCE COMMITEE (FC) FOR FUNDS AT THIS STAGE, AS THIS WILL INEVITABLY MEAN THAT THE WHOLE SCHEME WILL BECOME PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE.
WE CAN AVOID AN APPROACH TO FINANCE COMMITTEE FOR FUNDS TO COVER AT LEAST REPATRIATION OF THE FIRST BATCH, BY THE EXERCISE OF POWERS DELEGATED TO THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY BY LEGCO.
2. AS REGARDS TRANSPORT WITHIN VIETNAM, WE AGREED WITH THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES DURING THE RECENT TALKS IN HANOI THAT WE WOULD COVER THESE COSTS, AS THE UNHCR DOES FOR VOLUNTARY RETURNS, AT AN ESTIMATED USD15 PER PERSON. WE DO NOT THINK WE SHOULD
GO BACK ON THIS.
3. WE HAVE MADE TENTATIVE ARRANGEMENTS TO BOOK AN AIRCRAFT IN THE WEEK BEGINNING 17 JULY. THE MOST CONVENIENT DATE FOR US WOULD PROBABLY BE 19 JULY, BUT WE CAN BE FLEXIBLE. THE AIRCRAFT IS LIKELY TO BE A BOENING 737 OPERATED BY DRAGONAIR, AS WAS THE CASE WITH THE TWO GROUPS OF VOLUNTARY REPATRIATES RETURNED PREVIOUSLY. WE CANNOT MAKE A FIRMER BOOKING, NOR PROVIDE MORE PRECISE FLIGHT DETAILS, UNTIL WE HAVE CONFIRMATION FROM THE VIETNAMESE THAT THEY WILL ACCEPT BACK THE FIRST GROUP (DETAILS FAXED TO DAY TO HANOI AND UNTIL THEY
GIVE US AN INDICATION THAT OUR PROPOSED TIMING IS ACCEPTABLE.
4. IT IS OF COURSE DIFFICULT TO ESTIMATE WITH ANY ACCURACY THE
LIKELY NUMBER OF BOAT PEOPLE WHO MAY BE REPATRIATED THIS FINANCIAL YEAR. WE EXPECT TO HAVE BY 31 MARCH 1990 AT LEAST 8,000 BOAT PEOPLE WHOSE APPEALS FOR REFUGEE STATUS WILL HAVE BEEN REJECTED. ASSUMING THAT 50 PER CENT OPT TO RETURN VOLUNTARILY (THIS CAN BE NO MORE THAN A GUESS), WE MIGHT HAVE 4,000 READY TO BE REPATRIATED UNDER THE BILATERAL SCHEME. HOWEVER, IN PRACTICE, THE CONSTRAINT IS LIKELY TO BE THE RATE AT WHICH THE VIETNAMESE ARE WILLINNG AND
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