CONFIDENTIAL
55
062765
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 260
OF 29180OZ JANUARY 90
AND TO IMMEDIATE HANOI
24315
НКВ RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
22 FEB 1990
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON
MDHOAN 2014
TOP COPY Q DIST?
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION
1.
WHILE WE AWAIT RESOLUTION OF THE OUTCOME OF SC3, MINISTERS ARE KEEN THAT WE SHOULD DO EVERTHING POSSIBLE TO SPEED THE RETURN OF THE VOLUNTEERS. AT THE TIME OF SC3 THERE WERE 1365
OUTSTANDING ACTIVE CASES, REPRESENTING A BACKLOG OF OVER 3 MONTHS AT THE CURRENT RATE OF RETURN. WE SHOULD AIM TO CLEAR THIS BACKLOG AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
2. MINISTERS ARE ALSO CONCERNED THAT THE INTERVIEWS WITH
RETURNEES RECOUNTED IN THE ENNALS/RAISON REPORT SEEMED TO REVEAL
A GENUINE IGNORANCE OF AND FAILURE TO UNDERSTAND
THE VOLUNTEER SCHEME. THEY WOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR CONFIRMATION
THAT THERE IS A SYSTEMATIC INFORMATION CAMPAIGN
IN THE CAMPS EXTOLLING THE VIRTUES OF THE VOLUNTEER SCHEME.
3. WE SHOULD ALSO BE GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD LET US HAVE AN ACCOUNT OF:
(A) HKG RESOURCES DEVOTED TO COUNSELLING BOAT PEOPLE TO VOLUNTEER.
(B) UNHCR/NGO RESOURCES DEVOTED TO COUNSELLING TO ENCOURAGE
VOLUNTEERS.
(C) THE EXTENT OF INFORMATION. PRINTED IN VIETNAMESE, EXPLAINING THE MACHINERY AND ADVANTAGES, INCLUDING FINANCIAL, OF THE VOLUNTARY PROGRAMME.
(D) THE EXTENT OF VIDEO INFORMATION, FOR USE IN THE CAMPS, ABOUT THE VOLUNTARY PROGRAMME AND ABOUT THOSE WHO HAVE ALREADY RETURNED.
WE SHOULD ALSO BE GRATEFUL FOR AN ACCOUNT OF THE DEGREE OF COUNTER-COUNSELLING WHICH HAS BEEN CARRIED OUT BY NGO/UNHCR STAFF. IT WOULD BE PARTICULARLY USEFUL TO HAVE ANY SUBSTANTIATED REPORTS WHICH WE COULD PASS ON TO UNHCR IN GENEVA.
4.
MINISTERS HAVE ALSO ASKED FOR A WEEKLY SITREP, SEPARATE FROM EXISTING STATISTICAL REPORTS, ON THE VOLUNTARY PROGRAMME, TO INCLUDE:
(A)
TOTAL NUMBER SCREENED OUT AFTER APPEAL.
(B) TOTAL NUMBER FROM (A) WHO HAVE BEEN FORMALLY NOTIFIED
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