Mr McLaren
SECRET
From:
C C D Haswell
Hong Kong Department
738
Date:
1 December 1989
4KB
243 19
CC:
PS/PUS
Mr Gillmore
Mr Colvin, SEAD
Mr Paul, HKD
Mr Brenton, UND
Mr Burns, News Dept
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: REPATRIATION
A 1. Hong Kong telno 3948 provided us with the detailed arrangements
which the Hong Kong Government consider would be necessary to ensure the successful repatriation to Vietnam of the first group of non-volunteer non-refugees.
B 2. In Hanoi telno 652, HMA Hanoi assesses that the operation
envisaged by Hong Kong is likely to be construed by the Vietnamese
as going beyond the terms of our agreement with them for the
repatriation of non-volunteers. If he is correct, there is a severe
danger that the Vietnamese would not be willing to accept the
aircraft: in the circumstances, we would not be able to proceed with
the operation.
We need urgently to consider how we should proceed with the
repatriation of boat people if such a situation does arise.
Below,
3.
I set out a few thoughts on a course of action we could pursue.
4.
There is a likelihood that of the boat people in Hong Kong,
around 40,000 will be screened out. At SC3 there was broad
agreement, even from the Americans, that we should aim at a
timescale of three years for the repatriation of the screened out,
to match the timescale for the resettlement of refugees. To achieve
this, we would need to build to a rate of flow back to Vietnam of a
little over 250 people per week.
GABAAJ
SECRET