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TELNO 3331
OF 0704OOZ OCTOBER 89
INFO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON, CANBERRA, OTTAWA, PARIS INFO PRIORITY OSLO
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: REPATRIATION
OFFICIALS FROM THE US, CANADIAN, AUSTRALIAN, FRENCH AND NORWEGIAN CONSULATES OR COMMISSIONS VISITED THE CHI MA WAN DETENTION CENTRE
ON 6 OCTOBER. THE VISIT HAD BEEN ARRANGED UNDER THE AUSPICES OF
UNHCR AND THE PURPOSE WAS TO EXPLAIN TO THOSE PEOPLE WHO HAD BEEN DETERMINED TO BE NON-REFUGEES THAT THEY HAD NO PROSPECT OF
RESETTLEMENT AND THAT THEY SHOULD THEREFORE RETURN TO VIETNAM.
2. THE CONSULAR OFFICIALS SPOKE IN ACCORDANCE WITH TEXTS WHICH HAD
BEEN CLEARED BY CAPITALS. ALL OF THE STATEMENTS WERE UNAMBIGUOUS AND DIRECT. IN REPLY, A NUMBER OF VBP MADE STATEMENTS TO THE EFFECT
THAT THEY WOULD RATHER DIE THAN RETURN TO VIETNAM. THE OFFICIALS
SEEM TO HAVE BEEN TAKEN BY SURPRISE BY THE STRENGTH OF THE REACTION
TO THEIR STATEMENTS. THEY WENT ON TO ENCOURAGE THE VBP TO
VOLUNTEER FOR REPATRIATION UNDER THE UNHCR PROGRAMME ON THE GROUNDS
THAT THE ONLY ALTERNATIVE WAS CONTINUED DETENTION. THE MESSAGE THAT RESETTLEMENT WAS NOT AVAILABLE COME ACROSS LOUD AND CLEAR. IT
WAS NOT OF COURSE A MESSAGE THE VBP WISHED TO HEAR AND THE VERY
NEAGATIVE REACTION IS NOT SURPRISING.
3. THE TEXT OF THE STATEMENTS FOLLOW BY FAX.
WILSON
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.VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HK
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