CONFIDENTIAL
111131
MDHIAN 8926
GENEVA ON MANDATORY REPATRIATION OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN THE AUTUMN, TAKING ACCOUNT BOTH OF VIETNAM'S DECLARED READINESS TO RECEIVE BACK NON-REFUGEES AND THE POSSIBILITY OF ADDITIONAL ECONOMIC AID.
5. THERE WOULD STILL BE PROBLEMS OVER AMERICAN SENSITIVITY AND UNHCR RELUCTANCE TO MOVE TOO FAST: BUT ANY SIGN OF VIETNAMESE READINESS TO ACCEPT NON-VOLUNTEERS WOULD REMOVE AT LEAST ONE MAJOR STUMBLING BLOCK. IN PRACTICE ANY SUCH AGREEMENT WOULD NOT RESULT IN INCREASED RETURNS TO VIETNAM WITHIN 1989. BUT IT MIGHT DETER DEPARTURES FROM VIETNAM, AND IT WOULD HELP TO GET THINGS MOVING CONSIDERABLY SOONER THAN THE 2-3 YEARS FORECAST IN UKMIS GENEVA TELNO 172.
6. IF YOU THINK THIS IDEA IS WORTH PURSUING, YOU MAY WISH TO CONSIDER WHETHER THE GROUND COULD BE PREPARED DURING LORD GLENARTHUR'S FORTHCOMING VISIT TO VIETNAM. A POSSIBLE SEQUENCE OF DISCUSSIONS MIGHT BE FOR LORD GLENARTHUR TO PRESS THE VIETNAMESE TO CONSIDER EARLY MANDATORY REPATRIATION. IF THIS PRODUCED A COMPLAINT THAT THEIR RESOURCES WERE INSUFFICIENT, LORD GLENARTHUR WOULD THEN HAVE AN OPENING TO EXPLAIN THAT, (A) INCREASED FUNDS WOULD ONLY BE UNLOCKED BY FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE UNDERTAKING TO WITHDRAW FROM CAMBODIA FROM SEPTEMBER 1989 AND (B) THE ATTITUDE OF HMG CAND OTHERS WITH WHOM WE HAD INFLUENCE) TO A RESUMPTION OF AID WOULD BE STRONGLY INFLUENCED BY VIETNAM'S READINESS TO TAKE BACK ADDITIONAL VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE.
WILSON
YYYY
MAIN
96
DISTRIBUTION
102
.VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HK
LIMITED
HKD
SEAD
UND
LEGAL ADVISERS
PUSD
ECD (E)
FED
NEWS PS
PAGE
PS/LORD GLENARTHUR
PS/MR PATTEN ODA
PS MR EGGAR
PS/PUS
MR GILLMORE
MR SLATER
MR MCLAREN
2
CONFIDENTIAL