TNAG-0654-FCO40-803-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-1977 — Page 93

PRIORITY

GPS 544

HER CATA

FM HANOI 140430Z

CONFIDENTIAL

'CONFIDENTIAL

FAV 400/548/2

15 SEP 1977

DESK OFFICEN

INDEX

PA

Action Taken

TO. PRIORITY FCO TELNO 176 OF 14 SEPT

INFO HONG KONG,

HONG KONG TELNO(198) TO YOU.

918

167

69

TOP COPY

:

!

1. DO NOT THINK THIS WILL WORK. MAIDEEN HAS SAID HE WILL

START TO MAKE HIS PLANS THIS MONTH ANYWAY TO LEAVE.

THE ASSUMPTIONS ON THE PROGRESS OF FLIGHTS ARE OPTIMISTIC.

IF AT THE END OF NOVEMBER WE TELL THE VIETNAMESE THAT THE

NUMBER OF CLIENTS NO LONGER JUSTIFIES REGULAR FLIGHTS AND THAT

WE PROPOSE TO WITHDRAW MATDEEN AND CLOSE HIS OFFICE THIS IS

30 MUCH MORE LIKELY TO COME AS A SHOCK TO THEM AND MAKE THEM

UNCO-OPERATIVE AND ALSO LEAVE HAIDEEN LITTLE TIME.

2. MY VIEW IS THAT WE SHOULD AFTER OUR NEXT CONTACT WITH

MIDEEN IN SAIGON, AND SUBJECT TO HIS VIEWS, TELL THE

VIETNAMESE THAT WE SEE THE END OF THE TUNNEL IN SIGHT, THAT

WE ESTIMATE THAT IT SHOULD BE REACHED FOR PRACTICAL PURPOSES

AT THE END OF NOVEMBER, THAT WE

PLAN THEREAFTER TO CLIOSE DOWN OUR EXPENSIVE OFFICE THERE AND

AND RELEASE MAIDEEN, AND THAT ANY REMAINDER OF CASES WOULD

BE DEALT WITH AD HOC FROM HANOI BY FLIGHTS AS AND WHEN THEY

CAN BE FILLED, AS HAVE THE INDIANS AND AS DO THE ICRC.

THIS WILL GIVE THEM TIME TO GET USED TO THE IDEA AS WELL

CONFIDENTIAL

/AS