SECRET
272
173361
MDHIAN 7256
SECRET
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 3174
OF 261045Z SEPTEMBER 89
INFO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA, HANOI
TOP COPY Q DIST?
HKB
243 19
PERSONAL FOR PAUL HKD FROM GOVERNOR UKMIS GENEVA PERSONAL FOR AMBASSADOR HANOI PERSONAL FOR AMBASSADOR
243/14 (OE) (225)
24)
(224)
OUR TELNO 2926, 2799 AND 2798: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: REPATRIATION
POLITICAL BACKGROUND.
WE HAVE DESCRIBED IN TURS OUR ASSESSMENT OF THE POLITICAL SITUATION HERE AND THE PRESSURES WE FACE FOR THE EARLY IMPLEMEN- TATION OF A MANDATORY REPATRIATION PROGRAMME. BRIEFLY, THERE ARE TWO MAIN FACTORS DICTATING THE TIMETABLE:
(A) LEGCO REASSEMBLES ON 11 OCTOBER, I ANTICIPATE RENEWED STRONG PRESSURE FOR PROGRESS ON REPATRIATION. THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT LEGCO MEMBERS WILL REFLECT THE GENERAL FRUSTRATION OF THE COMMUNITY OVER THIS ISSUE. OUR RESPONSESO FAR TO LEGCO AND OMELCO PRESSURE HAS BEEN TO ARGUE THAT THE BEST HOPE OF A SOLUTION LIES IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CPA. BUT UNLESS AND UNTIL WE ARE ABLE TO POINT TO TANGIBLE EVIDENCE OF THIS IN THE FORM OF FIRM ARRANGEMENTS FOR MANDATORY REPATRIATION, THE PUBLIC PRESSURES FOR A REVIEW OF POLICY WILL REMAIN. THERE IS A GOOD LIKELIHOOD THAT THIS MAY LEAD TO A DEBATE IN LEGCO EARLY IN THE NEXT SESSION WITH A MOTION BEING TABLED TO END THE PRESENT POLICY OF FIRST ASYLUM. WE WOULD DO WHAT WE COULD BEHIND THE SCENES TO HAVE ANY SUCH MOTION WATERED DOWN. BUT THE ONLY EFFECTIVE MEANS OF RELIEVING THIS PRESSURE AND UNBLOCKING THE FINANCE COMMITTEE QUOTE EMBARGO UNQUOTE ON FUNDS WILL BE FOR US TO DEMONSTRATE THAT ALL/ALL SOLUTIONS IN THE CPA PACKAGE ARE BEING FULLY IMPLEMENTED. IN PRACTICE THIS MEANS THE ESTABLISHMENT
OF A MANDATORY REPATRIATION PROGRAMME.
(B) WE SEE IT AS ESSENTIAL TO HAVE AN UNAMBIGUOUS DETERRENT MESSAGE IN PLACE WELL BEFORE THE SPRING OF 1990 IF WE ARE TO
HEAD OFF A NEW INFLUX. THIS MEANS THAT WE MUST ESTABLISH A MANDATORY REPATRIATION PROGRAMME WELL BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR. BY A PROGRAMME WE MEAN THAT AT LEAST TWO OR THREE GROUPS
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