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The Governor has already formally requested HMG to contribute
substantially to these costs (my minute of 31 March). I am in
touch with the ODA and will be submitting separately on this
aspect.
Mandatory Repatriation
6.
There is unfortunately very little, if anything, that can be
done to avert this crisis. Paragraphs 13-14 below consider what
action could be taken immediately with the Chinese and Vietnamese
authorities to try to stem the flow of arrivals in Hong Kong in the
coming months. But this does not get to the heart of the matter. The Governor is convinced (and I share his view) that the only way
to deter large scale departures by boat from Vietnam is through
mandatory repatriation. However even this step (assuming the
necessary measure of international agreement can be achieved) could
not be taken in time to affect this summer's influx. At best it
would head off the prospect of a new influx in 1990. And if
progress could be seen to be made quickly enough, it might help to
take some of the heat out of the impending political crisis in Hong
Kong.
7. The logic of Hong Kong's screening policy has always been that
those screened out as non refugees must all eventually return to Vietnam. In endorsing this policy, we have always accepted that it would be necessary at some stage to resort to mandatory
repatriation. But in the meantime we have made a start with those who have volunteered to go back, in the hope that the success of the
volunteers' programme would encourage others to follow suit. All the indications are that only a very small proportion of screened
out boat people are ever likely to volunteer to return, unless it is
made crystal clear to them that there is no alternative.
8. Given the political sensitivities, both in this country and internationally, we have deliberately not forced the pace on
mandatory repatriation. It has seemed more sensible to let the international consensus on the issue develop gradually (while giving
voluntary repatriation every chance to succeed). And we have made some (modest) progress: the Comprehensive Plan of Action agreed at
the Kuala Lumpur Preparatory Conference in March, states that "if
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