CONFIDENTIAL
154765 MDHIAN 8135
THE VIETNAMESE THAT, IN EXCHANGE FOR THEIR ORP II SIGNATURE WE WOULD COMMIT OURSELVES TO THE PRINCIPLE OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO ORP II RETURNEE COMMUNITIES. FOR OUR OWN PLANNING PURPOSES THE FIGURE MIGHT BE US DOLLARS 300 PER RETURNEE AND I WOULD ENVISAGE THAT, WITHOUT OF COURSE TELLING THE VIETNAMESE, WE WOULD FINANCE THE FIRST 1,000 RETURNEES UNDER ORP II. THIS WOULD COST US DOLLARS 300,000. ON THE PATTERN OF FLIGHTS FOR ORP II ALREADY ENVISAGED FOR 1992 THIS SUM WOULD CARRY US THROUGH THE SAILING SEASON AND SHOULD ALSO ALLOW US TO DEMONSTRATE TO THE
CAMP POLULATION THAT ORP II IS WORKING EFFECTIVELY.
4. SINCE AS HONG KONG TUR POINTS OUT THERE IS NO/NO PROSPECT OF A CONTRIBUTION FROM HONG KONG FOR THE TIME BEING, I THINK THAT WE SHOULD CONSIDER DIVERTING ODA FUNDS ALREADY EARMARKED FOR VIETNAM TO THE SUPPORT OF OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY AND MOST IMMEDIATE POLICY OBJECTIVE, IE CONCLUSION OF AN AGREEMENT ON ORP II.
5. SINCE THE VIETNAMESE PROFESS NOT TO REGARD THE EC PROGRAMME
AS MEETING EITHER EFFECTIVELY OR SUFFICIENTLY THE NEEDS OF REINTEGRATION I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE CONSIDER FINANCING THE US DOLLARS 300,000 FROM THE POUNDS 1.5 MILLION EARMARKED AS THE VOLUNTARY UK NATIONAL CONTRIBUTION TO THE EC PROGRAMME
IN 1992/93. I HAVE CONSIDERED SUGGESTING DIVERTING SOME OF THE FUNDS EARMARKED FOR MACRO-ECONOMIC TRAINING AND ANNOUNCED
IN LORD CAITHNESS' SPEECH AT THE PARIS PEACE CONFERENCE ON CAMBODIA. TO DO THIS, HOWEVER, COULD RISK DAMAGING PRECISLEY THAT RELEVANCE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE UK TO VIETNAM WHICH IS
OUR BEST ASSET IN WORKING FOR VIETNAMESE COOPERATION ON THE MIGRANT PROBLEM IN THE FUTURE.
CONCLUSION
6. THE ABOVE COURSE OF ACTION IS NOT PALATABLE BUT IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES AND GIVEN WHAT IS AT STAKE WE HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO CONSIDER IT SERIOUSLY. AFTER FULL CONSIDERATION HERE WE CAN
SEE NO MEANS OF COERCION AT OUR DISPOSAL WHICH WOULD MOVE THE
VIETNAMESE ON THIS PARTICULAR POINT. AT LEAST A RELATIVELY MODEST DIVERSION OF FUNDS ALREADY COMMITTED TO VIETNAM FROM
A NON-EFFECTIVE TO AN EFFECTIVE MEANS OF BACKING UP OUR POLICY OBJECTIVES WOULD GIVE US AND ABOVE ALL HONG KONG A BREATHING SPACE (PARA 2 OF HONG KONG TUR).
WILLIAMS
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