JED
CONFIDENTIAL
15073
MDHOAN 7155
WE
RESULTS OF SCREENING IN HONG KONG TO DATE SUGGEST THAT ABOUT 12 PER CENT OF BOAT PEOPLE ARE LIKELY TO BE SCREENED IN AS REFUGEES. ON THIS BASIS OVER 37,000 OF THE PRESENT BOAT PEOPLE POPULATION IN HONG KONG WILL EVENTUALLY HAVE TO RETURN TO VIETNAM. THE PRESENT
AND PROSPECTIVE RATE AT WHICH THEY ARE VOLUNTEERING TO RETURN IS INADEQUATE TO MEET THE ACTUAL SITUATION. ONLY 507 VOLUNTEERS HAVE SO FAR RETURNED. IF THERE IS AN INFLUX IN 1990 ON ANYTHING LIKE THIS YEARS SCALE THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WILL BE UNABLE TO COPE.THERE IS THEREFORE NO REAL ALTERNATIVE TO REPATRIATING ALL THOSE WHO ARE SCREENED OUT, WHETHER VOLUNTEERS OR NOT. HAVE RECEIVED ASSURANCES FROM THE VIETNAMESE THAT THOSE WHO RETURN WILL BE TREATED HUMANELY AND WILL NOT BE PUNISHED FOR
LEAVING VIETNAM. BUT CREDIBLE MONITORING ARRANGEMENTS ARE VERY
IMPORTANT AND WE WOULD GREATLY PREFER THESE TO BE UNDER THE AUSPICES OF UNHCR. THE CURRENT REPATRIATION PROGRAMME OF LAOTIANS, WHICH IS MONITORED BY UNHCR, PROVIDES A USEFUL MODEL. 5 WE HAVE LEARNED THAT HINTEREGGER WILL BE IN NEW YORK ON 15
NOVEMBER FOR THE THIRD COMMITTEE WHILE VIEIRA DE MELLO WILL BE THERE ON THE SAME DAY TO SEE RAFEEUDDIN AHMED, THE UN SECRETARY-GENERAL'S SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR SOUTH-EAST ASIA. IT WOULD BE HELPFUL THEREFORE IF YOU COULD TAKE ACTION WITH THE SECRETARY-GENERAL IN ADVANCE OF THEIR VISIT.
6 WASHINGTON MAY LIKE TO KNOW THAT VIEIRA DE MELLO WILL BE
VISITING ON 13/14 NOVEMBER. HE TOLD COLVIN THAT THERE WAS
EVIDENCE THAT THE AMERICANS WERE COMING TO TERMS WITH THE INEVITABILITY OF MANDATORY REPATRIATION. COLVIN AGREED, DRAWING ON WASHINGTON TELEGRAM NO 2877 TO FCO (NOT TO ALL).
HURD
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
113
DISTRIBUTION
121
.VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HK
LIMITED
HKD
SEAD
UND
LEGAL ADVISERS
PUSD
RMD
PS
PS/MR MAUDE
PS/MR SAINSBURY
PS/LORD BRABAZON
PS/MRS CHALKER
PS/PUS
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CONFIDENTIAL