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HN020830
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL
INWARD
INFO : MIN
6.45 07/09/89
wilding
IMPORTANTLY NEWS ABOUT THE HARSH LIVING CONDITIONS IN THE HONG KONG CAMPS. THIS NEWS WAS BEING SPREAD BY A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT SOURCES: FOREIGN RADIO BROADCASTS, LETTERS BEING RECEIVED FROM HONG KONG, THE LOCAL HAIPHONG MEDIA INCLUDING THE DAILY NEWSPAPER, WHICH HAD EXTENSIVE COVERAGE OF DEVELOPMENTS IN HONG KONG, AND WORD-OF-MOUTH BY THE VOLUNTEER REPATRIATES.
3. THE SOURCE HAD PERSONALLY SPOKEN SEPARATELY TO THREE REPATRIATES WHO HAD VISITED DO SON AND WHO TOLD HIM SIMILAR STORIES ABOUT CONDITIONS IN THE CAMPS. THERE WAS ALSO REPORTS BEING CIRCULATED ABOUT PIRATE ATTACKS ON VIETNAMESE BOATS IN THE
CHANNEL BETWEEN HAINAN ISLAND AND THE CHINESE MAINLAND WHICH WAS ACTING AS ANOTHER DETERRENT.
VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION
4. DURING A FUNCTION FOR THE VISITING NON-GOVERNMENT DELEGATION ON 31 AUGUST UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE BAZOCHE (IN OUR PRESENCE) PASSED ON TO LE THO (HEAD, MFA CONSULAR DEPARTMENT) A STRONG REQUEST HE HAD
cast RECEIVED FROM DE MELLO CUNHCR, GENEVA) FOR VIETNAM TO QUICKLY PROCESS
BEFORE THE OCTOBER COORDINATING COMMITTEE MEETING THE 600-ODD OUTSTANDING REQUESTS FUR VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION. BAZOCHE EMPHASISED IN THIS CONTEXT THE CRISIS SITUATION IN HONG KONG.
5.
LE THO INDICATED THAT DE MELLO'S MESSAGE HAD ALREADY BEEN RECEIVED THROUGH VIETNAMESE CHANNELS (DE MELLO HAD SPOKEN TO VICE-MINISTER TRAN QUANG CO) AND THAT THE MINISTRY WAS SEEKING TO RESPOND FAVOURABLY TO THE REQUEST.
E.
IN A SEPARATE BRIEFING GIVEN BY BAZOCH ON 31 AUGUST, BAZOCHE PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION ON VOLUNTARY RETURNS FROM HONG KONG
834 APPLICATIONS FOR VOLUNTARY RETURN HAD BEEN RECEIVED SO FAR
THE APPLICATION RATE HAD BEEN 70 PER WEEK OVER THE LAST SIX OR SEVEN WEEKS
THEIS HAD INCREASED TO 150 PER WEEK OVER THE LAST TWO OR THREE WEEKS
RECENT ARRIVALS IN HONG KONG WERE THE ONES NOW APPLYING TO RETURN
IT TOOK THREE TO FOUR MONTHS BETWEEN LODGING AN APPLICATION AND ACTUAL RETURN.
BAZOCHE SAID THAT SO FAR NO APPLICATIONS FOR VOLUNTARY RETURN HAD BEEN REFUSED BY THE SRV.
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CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL