CONFIDENTIAL
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CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 187
OF 17104OZ JANUARY 89
INFO IMMEDIATE HANOI
INFO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA, BANGKOK
Is
173357
MDHIAN 8793
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
HANOI TELNO 3 AND 4 TO HONG KONG : VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG
KONG : FIRST RETURNS
OF THE 99 NAMES IN SECOND TUR, WE HAVE ONLY BEEN ABLE TO CONFIRM 93. OF THESE, 90 ARE VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE AND 3 ARE VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.
2.
OF THE 93 NAMES CONFIRMED, 36 ARE AMONGST THOSE WHO HAVE ALREADY WITHDRAWN THEIR APPLICATIONS FOR VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION. ON THIS BASIS, THE FIRST BATCH WOULD AT BEST ONLY HAVE A MAXIMUM OF 63 PERSONS. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT SOME WHO HAVE WITHDRAWN MIGHT CHANGE THEIR MINDS YET AGAIN. WE ARE NOW CHECKING ALL THE 36 WITH A VIEW, IF POSSIBLE, TO PERSUADING THEM THAT THEY SHOULD REVERT TO THEIR ORIGINAL DECISION TO RETURN. CHANCES OF SUCCESS ARE UNLIKELY TO BE HIGH AND IT IS ALWAYS POSSIBLE THAT THERE WILL BE FURTHER
WITHDRAWALS.
3=
IF SUBSTANTIAL NUMBERS DO NOT AGAIN CHANGE THEIR MINDS THEN OUR IMMEDIATE CONCERN IS THAT A GROUP OF AROUND 60 IS TOO SMALL FOR UNHCR TO JUSTIFY A CHARTER BOOKING. OUR OTHER CONCERN IS THE CLEAR IMPRESSION THAT WILL BE GIVEN OF WANING ENTHUSIASM FOR VOLUNTARY RETURNS.
4.
REDUCTION OF THE FIRST GROUP BY A THIRD WILL CREATE A VERY BAD IMPRESSION PUBLICLY. I BELIEVE WE MUST MOVE QUICKLY TO ENSURE THAT THE VIETNAMESE CLEAR A FURTHER LIST OF NAMES TO MAKE UP THE NUMBERS FOR A SUBSTANTIAL FIRST GROUP. GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD AGREE TO HANOI PRESSING THE VIETNAMESE ACCORDINGLY. IF THE VIETNAMESE CONCERN IS TO LIMIT THE NUMBERS RETURNING IN EACH BATCH, WE COULD AGREE THAT EACH BATCH SHOULD BE KEPT TO ABOUT 100, SUBJECT TO UNHCR
CONCURRENCE.
WE HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO IDENTIFY THE FOLLOWING SIX NAMES
5"
NAME
UNHCR NO
DOB
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