CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TELNO 942
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
OF 16105OZ MARCH 90
69
CONFIDENTIAL
072020
MDHIAN 1638
HKB
24315
SCEIVER N TFG:
'Y
29 MAR 1990
St
ICER
BA
INFO IMMEDIATE HANOI, UKMIS GENEVA
all
attatched.
YRTELNO 417 HANOI TELNO 113 AND OUR TELNO 9 TO UKMIS GENEVA:
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION
1. ONE OF THE MAIN IMPEDIMENTS TO EXPANDING THE SCALE OF THE VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION PROGRAMME HAS BEEN VIETNAM'S INSISTENCE THAT OFFICIALS TRAVEL TO HONG KONG TO INTERVIEW THE VOLUNTEERS AND CLEAR THEM FOR RETURN. CLAUSE 9 OF THE DRAFT AGREEMENT SET OUT IN FIRST TUR WAS AN ATTEMPT TO END THIS ARRANGEMENT. THE CLAUSE WAS HOWEVER OMITTED FROM THE FINAL VERSION OF THE AGREEMENT (SECOND TUR).
2. THE VIETNAMESE HAVE APPARENTLY AGREED TO INTERVIEW MORE THAN 900 VOLUNTEERS DURING THEIR NEXT VISIT. NONE THE LESS, WE REMAIN OF THE VIEW THAT THIS ARRANGEMENT SHOULD BE UNNECESSARY. WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR HANOI'S ASSESSMENT OF THE PROSPECTS FOR PERSUADING THE VIETNAMESE TO CLEAR VOLUNTEERS FOR RETURN WITHOUT INTERVIEWING THEM
IN HONG KONG.
3. THE VIETNAMESE ARE LIKELY TO ARGUE THAT THE BEST WAY TO IMPROVE THE CURRENT PROCEDURES WOULD BE TO ALLOW THEM TO BASE OFFICIALS IN HONG KONG FOR THIS PURPOSE. WE BELIEVE THAT WE MUST CONTINUE TO RESIST SUCH A PROPOSAL. WE HAVE FEW CARDS TO PLAY AND WE ARE RELUCTANT TO MAKE SUCH A CONCESSION IN ADVANCE OF MY MOVEMENT ON MANDATORY REPATRIATION.
WILSON
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
113
DISTRIBUTION
123
.VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HK
LIMITED
HKD
RMD
PS
PS/MR MAUDE
PAGE
1
CONFIDENTIAL