CONFIDENTIAL
TOP COPY
(49
120651
MDLIAN 7604
a PISAK 243/9
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 533
OF 160955Z FEBRUARY 89
INFO PRIORITY HANOI, UKMIS GENEVA, PEKING
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: REPATRIATION
1. THE FOUR MAN VIETNAMESE TEAM ARRIVED IN HONG KONG ON 10 FEBRUARY AND LEFT FOR BANGKOK EARLIER TODAY. THEY CONDUCTED THEIR WORK EXPEITIOUSLY AND ISSUED TRAVEL DOCUMENTS TO A TOTAL OF 81 PEOPLE. WE UNDERSTAND THAT THIS GROUP IS LIKELY TO LEAVE FOR VIETNAM ON 2 MARCH.
2. THER WERE NO DIFFICULTIES OR, APPARENTLY, TENSIONS BETWEEN THE OFFICIALS AND THE VOLUNTEERS. THERE WERE HOWEVER MINOR PROTESTS AT HEI LING CHAU AND CHI MA WAN DETENTION CENTRES ABOUT THEIR VISIT
TO HONG KONG. THEY DID NOT OF COURSE VISIT ANY CENTRES. THE ONLY HITCH IN THE PROCEDURES WAS THE INSISTENCE BY THE VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS ON AIDS TESTS FOR THE VOLUNTEERS. THE UNHCR WERE UNWILLING TO PROVIDE SUCH TESTS BUT WE OVERCAME THIS PROBLEM WITH
THE HELP OF ICM.
3. THE VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS HAVE INFORMED US THAT THE SECOND GROUP OF NAMES, TOTALLING 150 PEOPLE, IS UNDER CONSIDERATION IN HANOI AND THAT WE CAN EXPECT AN ANSWER SOON. THEY HAVE MADE IT CLEAR THAT THEY EXPECT TO RETURN TO HONG KONG TO ISSUE THE NEXT SET OF TRAVEL DOCUMENTS. IN VIEW OF THE SUCCESS OF THIS FIRST VISIT, WE HAVE NO OBJECTION IN PRINCPLE TO THIS ARRANGEMENT.
4. WE WERE ALSO INFORMED THAT THE TRAVEL DOCUMENTS FOR THE RETURNING VOLUNTEERS WOULD BE VALID FOR UPTO 3 MONTHS. AS A PRECAUTION, THE OFFICIALS HAVE APPARENTLY AUTHRISED A VIETNAMESE COMMERCIAL OFFICE IN HONG KONG TO ISSUE EXTENTIONS IF THE RETURN OF THE VOLUNTEERS IS DELAYED BEYOND 3 MONTHS. ALTHOUGH THIS IS A PRACTICAL ARRANGEMENT IN THE PRESENT SITUATION, IT RAISES THE QUESTION ABOUT THE POSSIBILI- TY OF A FUTURE APPROACH BY THE VIETNAMESE FOR OFFICIAL REPRESENTAT-
ION IN HONG KONG.
WILSON