CONFIDENTIAL
034771
MDHIAN 2465
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HANOI
TO DESKBY 171200Z FCO
TELNO 428
OF 17100OZ AUGUST 89
AND TO DESKBY 17130OZ HONG KONG
MICE 2+3/9
Top CUPY Q DIST ?
INFO IMMEDIATE PARIS WASHINGTON UKMIS GENEVA JAKARTA MANILA INFO IMMEDIATE KUALA LUMPUR BANGKOK BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN OTTAWA INFO IMMEDIATE CANBERRA
FROM FOXWELL IN PARTRIDGE'S ABSENCE
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: REPATRIATION OF VOLUNTEERS.
YOUR TELNO 1720 TO HONG KONG
1. THIRD GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS RETURNED ON CHARTERED DRAGONAIR FLIGHT AT 1400 HOURS LOCAL TIME (0700Z) 17 AUGUST.
2"
THERE WERE 121 VOLUNTEERS, INCLUDING CHILDREN, 2 REPRESENTATIVES FROM UNHCR HONG KONG AND 3 REPRESENTATIVES OF IMC.
3.
THE RETURNEES WERE MET BY NGUYAN KAN, DIRECTOR IMMIGRATION FROM THE MIN OF INTERIOR, AND OFFICIALS FROM THE MINISTRY OF LABOUR, WAR INVALIDS AND SOCIAL WELFARE AND MFA. THE UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE IN HANOI AND THE RESETTLEMENT OFFICER FROM THE UNHCR IN HONG KONG BOTH FORMALLY SIGNED DOCUMENTS HANDING OVER RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE RETURNEES FROM HONG KONG TO HANOI. TWO REPRESENTATIVES FROM
THE EMBASSY WERE PRESENT.
4
·
THERE WAS A LARGE LOCAL PRESS PRESENCE. OF THE FOREIGN PRESS THERE WAS THE LOCAL AFP STRINGER, MISS LIZ MAGREGOR OF THE INDEPENDENT AND A CORRESPONDANT FROM THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST. MISS MAGREGOR'S KNOWLEDGE OF THE BOAT PEOPLE ISSUE SEEMED EXTREMELY LIMITED AND SHE WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO AT FIRST WAS NOT CLEAR THAT THIS FLIGHT CONCERNED VOLUNTEER RETURNEES.
5. THE RETURNEES WILL BE PLACED IN THE HANOI RECEPTION CENTRE FOR ABOUT 5 DAYS WHILE MEDICAL CHECKS ARE CARRIED OUT AND FAMILIES CONTACTED. THE UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE IN HANOI ALONG WITH THE VISITING UNHCR OFFICIALS FROM HONG KONG ARE TO VISIT THE CENTRE IN THE AFTERNOON OF 18 AUGUST. OUR CHARGE D'AFFAIRES WHO RETURNS FROM HO CHI MINH CITY TOMORROW MORNING MAY ACCOMPANY THEM.
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