RESTRICTED
17 +3 MDHIAN $76
ENGLISH AND COVERED BY THE MEDIA. CAN STARTED OFF BY STERNLY REMINDING THE VBP'S THAT ILLEGAL DEPARTURE'' WAS FORBIDDEN BY THE PENAL CODE. HE QUOTED RELEVANT ARTICLES AND DETAILED THE SEVERE PRISON SENTENCES THAT ARE THEORETICALLY APPLICABLE. HOWEVER, HE THEN SAID THAT THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT RECOGNIZED THAT MANY
VBP'S WERE MISGUIDED OR HAD BEEN COERCED OR PERSUADED TO LEAVE AGAINST THEIR BETTER INTERESTS AND THAT THEY HAD NOW VOLUNTEERED TO RETURN. THEY WERE THEREFORE LIKE ERRANT CHILDREN WHO HAD DISOBEYED THEIR PARENTS AND WOULD NOT BE PUNISHED. HOWEVER, IF THEY LEFT VIETNAM ''ILLEGALLY' AGAIN THEN THEY WOULD BE
PUNISHED. CAN CONCLUDED BY SAYING THAT VIETNAMESE SHOULD NOT TRY TO LEAVE BY BOAT TO HONG KONG FOR ECONOMIC REASONS
BECAUSE HONG KONG NOW HAD A NEW POLICY. THOSE ARRIVING FOR SUCH
REASONS FACED RETURN TO VIETNAM OR INDEFINITE DETENTION IN HONG KONG. CAN SAID VIETNAM AGREED WITH AND SUPPORTED THIS POLICY.
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4. THIS BATCH OF VBP'S WERE WELL DRESSED IN OBVIOUSLY NEW AND SMART CASUAL CLOTHES AND, SURPRISINGLY BROUGHT WITH THEM CASSETTE RECORDERS, TV'S VIDEO CAMERAS ETC. THEY LOOKED LIKE A GROUP OF TOURISTS RETURNING FROM AN ENJOYABLE SHOPPING
SPREE IN HONG KONG. THE MEDIA WERE NOT SLOW TO NOTICE AND COMMENT
ON THIS.
5. AFTER ABOUT 90 MINUTES OF FORMALITIES AT THE AIRPORT, THE VBP'S WERE BUSSED TO A TRANSIT CENTRE ABOUT 6KMS AWAY. OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS THE MEDIA WILL BE ALLOWED TO VISIT THEM AND THEN ACCOMPANY THEM TO THEIR HOMES AND FAMILIES. THEY
SHOULD ALL BE SETTLED BACK HOME BY 7/8 MARCH. PETER BEAN
IS VISITING THE CENTRE THIS MORNING AND WE SHALL REPORT FURTHER
ABOUT THIS AND ABOUT LOCAL MEDIA COVERAGE.
COMMENT
6. IN OUR VIEW AND THAT OF THE UNHCR THE EVENT HAS PROGRESSED
SO FAR VERY SMOOTHLY. THE VIETNAMESE HAVE OBVIOUSLY PULLED OUT ALL THE STOPS, AND ARE SEEKING TO GET THE RIGHT MESSAGE OVER DOMESTICALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY.
"
7 I WAS SURPRISED AT THE FACT THAT THE RETURNEES WERE CARRYING EXPENSIVE CONSUMER GOODS. IT IS NOT CLEAR TO ME HOW THIS WAS POSSIBLE: IT WILL CERTAINLY HAVE CONFUSED WHAT WAS MEANT
TO BE A CLEAR MESSAGE TO POTENTIAL BOAT PEOPLE.
DAVIES