CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO DESKBY 05010OZ HONG KONG
TELNO 1447
OF 0418OOZ JULY 89
INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA
INFO PRIORITY HANOI
CONFIDENTIAL
HKB 243/9
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
39
073147
MDHOAN 4350
2+3/19
(143)
YOUR TELNO 2207 (NOW REPEATED TO ICG AND ASEAN COUNTRIES): VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: REPATRIATION
WE ARE CONTENT WITH THE LINE PROPOSED IN TUR WHICH SHOULD BE FOLLOWED WITH ICG AND ASEAN COUNTRIES.
1.
2.
YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT ON 30 JUNE COLVIN WAS PHONED BY FIONA MACMAHON OF THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST. HE STUCK TO THE LINE THAT WE ARE TALKING TO THE VIETNAMESE ABOUT IMPLEMENTING THE PRINCIPLE ENSHRINED IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF ACTION THAT ALL THOSE WITHOUT REFUGEE STATUS SHOULD RETURN TO THEIR COUNTRY OF ORIGIN. HE MADE CLEAR THAT FORCIBLE REPATRIATION WAS NOT UNDER DISCUSSION AND DECLINED TO GIVE A DATE FOR THE RETURN OF THE FIRST BATCH. THE MOST HE WOULD CONCEDE WAS THAT WE CONTINUED TO MAKE PROGRESS WITH THE VIETNAMESE AND RECALLED THAT LESS THAN A YEAR AGO THE VIETNAMESE WERE STILL REFUSING TO DISCUSS TAKING BACK ANY BOAT PEOPLE, OTHER THAN OCCASIONAL INDIVIDUALS. HE DECLINED MISS MACMAHON'S REQUEST TO BE QUOTED BY NAME.
HOWE
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
109
DISTRIBUTION
115
.VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HK
LIMITED
HKD
SEAD
UND
LEGAL ADVISERS
PUSD
ECD (E)
FED
INFO D
FINANCE D
RMD
PS
PAGE
PS/LORD GLENARTHUR
PS/MR PATTEN ODA
PS MR EGGAR
PS/PUS
MR GILLMORE
1
CONFIDENTIAL