CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM JAKARTA
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 183
OF 060815Z APRIL 89
AND TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, UKMIS GENEVA
INFO PRIORITY BANGKOK, HANOI
сн
123577
MDHIAN 9568
K
FOLLOWING FROM LORD GLENARTHUR'S PARTY
HONG KONG TELNOS 1975 TO 1977 TO FCO: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG
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·
YOU MIGHT WELCOME SOMME COMMENT ON HONG KONG'S PROPOSALS, AS SEEN FROM HERE.
2.
AT THE OUTSET, LORD GLENARTHUR WOULD LIKE TO STRESS THAT HE IN NO WAY UNDERESTIMATES THE SERIOUS PRACTICAL AND POLITICAL DIFFICULTIES FOR HONG KONG IF ARRIVALS OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE CONTINUE AT A HIGH LEVEL IN THE COMING MONTHS. HE ENTIRELY SYMPATHISES WITH THE GOVERNOR'S DESIRE TO FIND SOME EARLY AND EFFECTIVE MEANS OF AVOIDING A MAJOR CRISIS IN HONG KON&. HOWEVER, WE ARE NOT CONVINCED THAT THE PROPOSALS IN TURS WOULD HAVE THAT EFFECT: AND THERE IS A REAL RISK OF THEIR DERAILING THE PREPARATIONS FOR THE GENEVA CONFERENCE IN JUNE.
3.
WE THINK IT IMPORTANT, AT THIS STAGE, NOT TO DEMAND MORE THAN THE INTERNATIONAL MARKET (NOTABLY THE US, UNHCR AND VIETNAM) WILL BEAR. IT IS AN UNESCAPABLE FACT THAT MANDATORY REPATRIATION WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT VIETNAMESE COOPERATION. IT WOULD ALSO BE VERY DIFFICULT POLITICALLY IN DOMESTIC TERMS TO PROCEED WITH MANDATORY REPATRIATION WITHOUT UNHCR COOPERATION AND US ACQUIESCENCE. MOREOVER, THERE CAN BE NOT GUARANTEE (AS RECOGNISED IN PARA 5 OF HONG KONG TELNO 1076) THAT EARLY PROGRESS ON MANDATORY REPATRIATION WOULD DETER DEPARTURES FROM VIETNAM. SO WE MIGHT IMPERIL THE PROSPECTS FOR GENEVA TO NO IMMEDIATE PURPOSE.
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TO LINK MANDATORY REPATRIATION EXPLICITLY WITH THE RESUMPTION OF ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE TO VIETNAM ALSO SEEMS DANGEROUS. THERE MUST
BE A RISK THAT SUCH LINKAGE COULD BE USED AGAINST US.
5.
THE IDEA OF A REGIONAL HOLDING CENTRE IN SOUTH CHINA COULD BE TACTICALLY USEFUL VIS A VIS THE CHINESE. HOWEVER, IT IS
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