SECRET
02 04
MDHIAN 82
5. THO SAID THAT THEY DID NOT WISH TO HAVE JOURNALISTS VISITING
THE RETURNEES AFTER THEY HAD BEEN REINTEGRATED. THE VIETNAMESE
SIDE EXPECTED PROBLEMS OF REINTEGRATION GIVEN THAT THESE WOULD BE NON-VOLUNTEERS AND DID NOT WISH TO RUN THE RISK UNNECESSARILY OF ADVERSE PUBLICITY. HE CONFIRMED HOWEVER THAT, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE JOINT AGREEMENT, HMG AND UNHCR WOULD BE ABLE TO VISIT RETURNEES. I SAID THAT HMG MIGHT WISH TO SEND MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT ON AT LEAST ONE TRIP. THO SAW NO DIFFICULTY OVER THIS. I ALSO SUGGESTED THAT THEY MIGHT LIKE TO THINK AGAIN ABOUT JOURNALISTS: IT COULD WELL BE IN VIETNAM'S INTERESTS TO ALLOW JOURNALISTIC INSPECTION: THEY
AGREED TO GIVE IT FURTHER CONSIDERATION.
6. CAN RE-ENFORCED THO'S MESSAGE THAT THE VIETNAMESE SIDE HAD AGREED
TO NON-FORCIBLE REPATRIATION BUT HE SEEMED MORE KEEN TO ENSURE THE
SMOOTH ARRIVAL AND AVOIDANCE OF UNPLEASANT PROBLEMS AT THE AIRPORT RATHER THAN TO UPHOLD A PRINCIPLE. AS BEFORE WITH CAN, MY IMPRESSION IS THAT HE IS NOT TOO CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT GOES ON IN THE AIRCRAFT: WHAT HE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ACCEPT IS SOMEBODY OBVIOUSLY BEING
BUNDLED FORCIBLY OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT.
7. CAN ISUGGESTED THAT IN ORDER TO REDUCE TO AN ABSOLUTE MINIMUM
THE POSSIBILITY OF UNDESIRABLE PUBLICITY IT WOULD BE GOOD IF WE
COULD ARRANGE THE FLIGHT TO ARRIVE AT 6 OR 7 IN THE EVENING LOCAL
TIME. I SAID THAT THAT WOULD HAVE TO DEPEND ON AIRCRAFT
AVAILABILITY AND SUGGESTED THAT THE VIETNAMESE MIGHT CONSIDER
PARKING THE AIRCRAFT AWAY FROM THE MAIN TERMINAL: HE SAID HE WOULD
CONSIDER THIS.
8. THO MADE ONE GENERAL POINT AND THAT WAS THAT HE HOPED THE
HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WAS DOING ALL IN ITS POWER TO PERSUADE THOSE SCREENED OUT OF THE DESIRABILITY OF VOLUNTEERING TO RETURN
BY AT LEAST GETTING OVER THE MESSAGE THAT THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY
NO ALTERNATIVE. HE REFUSED TO BE DRAWN HUT THE POINT MAY HAVE
REFLECTED IMPRESSIONS GAINED BY THE VISITING VIETNAMESE VISA
OFFICIALS.
DAVIES
FCO PSE PASS HONG KONG, UKMIS GENEVA AND WASHINGTON
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