CONFIDENTIAL
HKB 243 19
378
176276
MDHIAN 4372
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 14110OZ FCO
TELNO 3770
OF 14093OZ NOVEMBER 89
LIST O
INFO PRIORITY HANOI, UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON do L
(373
YOUR TELNO 2292: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: REPATRIATION MONITORING
WE HAVE AGAIN DISCUSSED THE POST RETURN MONITORING ISSUE WITH CHRIS BALE OF OXFAM BUT THE RESULT IS NOT/NOT ENCOURAGING. BALE HAS RESTATED HIS VIEW THAT OXFAM HONG KONG DOES NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES TO MOUNT AND SUSTAIN SUCH AN OPERATION. EVEN IF RESOURCES COULD BE MADE AVAILABLE, HE DOUBTED WHETHER IT SHOULD BE UNDERTAKEN THROUGH THE HONG KONG OFFICE.
2. BALE ARGUED THAT THIS WORK SHOULD BE FIRMLY BASED IN VIETNAM AND THAT THIS WOULD MEAN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN OFFICE IN HANOI FOR THE PURPOSE. ALTHOUGH OXFAM HONG KONG HAS DEPLOYED A FIELD WORKER TO COVER VIETNAM, SHE SPENDS MOST OF HER TIME IN THAILAND, WHICH SHE ALSO COVERS. IF OXFAM ARE TO TAKE ON THIS WORK BALE THOUGHT THE INITIATIVE SHOULD COME FROM THE UK HQ AND THAT IT SHOULD TAKE THE FORM OF ESTABLISHING AN APPROPRIATELY MANNED OFFICE IN HANOI.
3. OUR CONTACTS WITH OTHER AGENCIES (E.G. SAVE THE CHILDREN FUND, WHICH IS PROBABLY THE ONLY AGENCY BESIDE OXFAM WHICH MIGHT BE PHSICALLY CAPABLE OF TAKING SUCH A TASK ON) IN RECENT MONTHS, DO NOT/NOT SUGGEST THAT THEIR APPROACH WOULD DIFFER FROM BALE'S. WE CONTINUE TO FEEL THAT IN THE SHORT TERM FIRST EMBASSY AND THEN (IF THEY CAN BE PERSUADED) UNHCR (POSSIBLY ASSISTED BY NGOS) MONITORING OFFERS THE MOST LIKELY WAY FORWARD. NGOS WILL IN ANY EVENT WISH PRESUMABLY TO SEE HOW MANDATORY REPATRIATION PROGRESSES OVER A PERIOD OF TIME BEFORE THEY MIGHT AGREE TO BE ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS.
WILSON
YYYY
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