TAGO (7)
operation.
21. One other point to bear in mind is that our agreement with the Vietnamese only covers access to repatriates by UNHCR and
representatives of the British Government.
If we are to pursue
alternative monitoring options, we would need to secure Vietnamese
agreement to allow access to whoever we proposed should undertake
the work.
Recommendations
22. I recommend that we should proceed as follows:
a)
b)
c)
continued pressure on the Americans to persuade UNHCR to
accept a monitoring role over non-volunteers.
possible direct action with UNHCR.
an approach to NGOs:
1.
To ask for advice and assistance over monitoring.
d)
2.
3.
To suggest they might try to persuade UNHCR to accept a
monitoring role.
To recommend possible independent consultants on whose
help we could call.
A submission with Finance Department/RMD to secure agreement in principle that finance should be made quickly available
to cover a possible monitoring operation, including
provision for increasing the staff of the Embassy in Hanoi.
23. Not touched on in this paper is the possibility of a role for NGOS in helping with counselling in Hong Kong. This can be considered separately; but any approach to NGOs should be on the combined subjects of monitoring and counselling.
C C D Haswell
Hong Kong Department
9 August 1989
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