CONFIDENTIAL
167001
MDHIAN 8689
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HANOI
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 30
OF 10080OZ JANUARY 92
AND TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
HKA 020/14
la
Imp
INFO IMMEDIATE UKREP BRUSSELS, UKMIS GENEVA
INFO PRIORITY WASHINGTON
آله
آله
MY TELNOS 22 AND 23: VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS: ORP II: COMMENT
SUMMARY
·
1 STRONG PRESSURE FOR ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, BUT CLEAR COMMITMENT TO ORP. SUGGESTED TACTICS AND PRESS LINE.
DETAIL
2.
OUR DISCUSSIONS DURING LORD CAITHNESS' VISIT SO FAR REINFORCE THE IMPRESSION THAT MAINTAINING THE RAPID PROGRESS OF THE ORDERLY RETURN PROGRAMME (IF NOT ALSO UNHCR'S VOLUNTEER PROGRAMMR HONG KONG TELNO 54) WILL BE JEOPARDISED IF WE ARE NOT ABLE TO COME UP WITH FRESH MONEY THAT CAN BE DIRECTLY ALLOCATED TO THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES CHARGED WITH ORGANISING THE REINTEGRATION ARRANGEMENTS AT COMMUNITY AND DISTRICT LEVEL. THIS IS A HIGH LEVEL
DECISION ENCOURAGED OF COURSE BY SIGNS THAT THE AID EMBARGO IS CRACKING (EG THE ITALIAN OFFER, MY TELNO 18) AND BY A PERCEPTION THAT HONG KONG OWES VIETNAM SOMETHING IN RETURN FOR THE SUCCESS OF
ORP I.
3. THE VIETNAMESE HAVE REAFFIRMED THEIR COMMITMENT TO THE STATEMENT OF UNDERSTANDING OF 29 OCTOBER AND TO THE REPATRIATION OF
ALL THE SCREENED OUT MIGRANTS IN HONG KONG. THEY HAVE ALSO SAID THAT THEY ARE CONTENT WITH THE ORP II MODALITIES PAPER AND WOULD BE HAPPY FOR ANY ASSURANCES OF ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE TO BE SET OUT IN A SEPARATE EXCHANGE RATHER THAN IN THE MODALITIES PAPER ITSELF. BUT THEY HAVE EMPHASISED REPEATEDLY THAT THEIR ABILITY TO ABSORB THE RETURNEES AT THE PRESENT RISING LEVELS WILL DEPEND UPON INCREASED REPATRIATION ASSISTANCE BECOMING AVAILABLE IN STEP WITH THE RETURNS THEMSELVES. WE HAVE STILL NOT GOT TO THE BOTTOM OF THE GO-SLOW ON RETURN FLIGHTS THIS MONTH. IT IS MOST LIKELY A FORM OF PRESSURE TACTICS, BUT THE IMMINENCE OF THE TET HOLIDAYS ARE ALSO A FACTOR.
THE VIETNAMESE ARGUE THAT THE UNHCR AND EC PROGRAMMES ARE
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