SECRET
MC
053212
N 9784
2
PHOENIX HOUSE AND RETURNING THEM ALONG WITH THE REMAINING NON-VOLUN- TEERS ON 31 OCTOBER. BUT WE CONCLUDED THAT THIS WOULD BE A MISTAKE AND THAT ALL VOLUNTEERS MUST BE TREATED IN THE SAME WAY WHENEVER THEY VOLUNTEER. THE SIX, ALL ONE EXTENDED FAMILY WILL THEREFORE BE MOVED TO JOIN OTHER VOLUNTEERS IN LO WU.
5. WE HAD PLANNED TO MOVE A FURTHER 40 VBP FROM CHI MA WAN TO PHOENIX HOUSE ON 10 OCTOBER. ALTHOUGH THOSE CONCERNED WERE SIMPLY TOLD THAT THEY WERE TO BE MOVED TO ANOTHER CAMP (NO MENTION WAS MADE OF PHOENIX HOUSE) THEIR SUSPICIONS WERE AROUSED AND THEY REFUSED TO LEAVE THEIR DORMITORIES. OUR JUDGEMENT IS THAT IT WILL NOT/NOT BE POSSIBLE TO MOVE A FURTHER GROUP FROM CHI MA WAN TO PHOENIX HOUSE WITHOUT USING MINIMUM FORCE AND WITHOUT PROVOKING A DISTURBANCE.
6. TENSION IN THE CAMPS IS HIGH AT PRESENT WITH ATTENTION FOCUSED ON THE SC3 MEETING. WE HAVE FOUND LEAFLETS IN SOME CAMPS CALLING FOR A CO-ORDINATED PROTEST OVER THE NEXT WEEK OR SO. THE FIRST SIGNS OF THIS PROTEST ACTION HAVE BEEN SEEN AT CHI MA WAN TODAY WITH A GROUP OF ABOUT THE SCREENING POLICY AND REPATRIATION.
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7. OUR OPTIONS ARE TO CARRY OUT THE FIRST REPATRIATION EXERCISE WITH THE 14 REMAINING NON-VOLUNTEERS AT PHOENIX HOUSE OR TO ATTEMPT TO INCREASE THIS NUMBER BY MOVING ANOTHER GROUP FROM CHI MA WAN. THE LATTER WOULD ALMOST CERTAINLY SPARK A DISTURBANCE LEADING TO SPECULATION ABOUT OUR INTENTIONS. THE VIETNAMESE MIGHT ALSO BE PUT IN A DIFFICULT POSITION OVER THE RETURN OF THE IMPORTANT FIRST GROUP IF PUBLICITY WAS GIVEN TO THE FACT THAT PART OF THE GROUP HAD ACTIVELY RESISTED BEING MOVED. SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETING THE RETURN OF THE FIRST GROUP IS CLEARLY VERY IMPORTANT ALTHOUGH 14 IS FAR FEWER THAN WE HAD HOPED, WE HAVE CONCLUDED THAT WE SHOULD KEEP TO THIS FIGURE FOR 31 OCTOBER RATHER THAN JEOPARDISE THE WHOLE OPERATION BY ATTEMPTING TO MOVE MORE PEOPLE FROM CHI MA WAN. CLEARLY, WE WILL HAVE TO FACE THE PROSPECT OF REMOVING UNWILLING PEOPLE FROM CHI MA WAN AND ARE WORKING ON PLANS TO DO SO WHICH WILL TRY TO MINIMISE THE RISK OF SERIOUS CONFRONTATIONS: BUT IT IS NOT ESSENTIAL THAT WE DO SO AT
THIS STAGE.
AGREED MINUTE
8. WE AGREE THAT IT WOULD BE PREFERABLE TO DELAY THE SIGNING OF THE
AGREED MINUTE UNTIL 30 OCTOBER.
FINANCE