7
(175)
MKD 243/9
Michael Hanson. Esq Refugee Coordinator HONG KONG
Dew Mike
Mr Maya
perch
BRITISH EMBASSY
HANOI
22 March 1989
N10/4
наб
1. cc. Mr Fostman, HKS 2. Mr Thomas
Ms Comer.
"Exotic" indeed. I agnt that on
Salance it should to mume harm than good viva-vs deterring VBPS.
PUBLICITY GIVEN TO FIRST RETURNS OF VBP
1. You might like to see the attached translation of an article that appeared in Quan Doi Nhan Dan, the army newspaper, on 20 March. I apologize for the "exotic" English: needless to say the translation is not mine.
2. The article contains interviews with some of the "miserable repatriates" and they paint a suitably alarm- ing picture of the hazards of escaping by boat and of life in camps in Hong Kong. This is all to the good. However, the article also talks about boat people being criminals and it makes no reference to voluntary returnees being exempt from any punishment or discrimination. Also some alarming,
and I presume untrue, figures are given for the incidence of venereal disease amongst the first batch of returns.
3. This is the first article of such length and style about returning boat people that I hav seen. No doubt there are things in it that we should object to, but on balance anybody reading it should be deterred from leaving by boat to Hong Kong so it is probably a good thing.
CC:
Tony Godson Esq, SEAD, FCO Peter Bean Esq, BANGKOK
Youss
Colin
C D Partridge