TNAG-1180-FCO40-1482-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-into-the--1982 — Page 73

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3.

THE PROSPECT OF BEING ABLE TO NEGOTIATE VIA UNHCR THE

NECESSARY MECHANISMS AND SAFEGUARDS TO MAKE THE RETURN OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE FROM HONG KONG A PRACTICAL AND

INTERNATIONALLY DEFENSIBLE PROPOSITION SEEMS SO REMOTE AS TO

BE DISCOUNTABLE FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE. WE ARE OF COURSE

READY TO ASK UKMIS GENEVA TO TRY TO CLARIFY SMYSER'S COMMENTS (YOUR PARAGRAPH 3) WHICH ARE TOO VAGUE AS THEY STAND TO ALLOW ANY CONFIDENCE THAT THEY REFLECT A GENUINE CHANGE OF HEART IN

HANOI RATHER THAN UNHCR'S CONGENITAL OPTIMISM. WE SEE NO

PROSPECT OF UNHCR COOPERATING IN OR EVEN TACITLY ACCEPTING

ANYTHING OTHER THAN A GENUINELY VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION,

PARTICULARLY FOR THOSE IN WHOM AS REFUGEES IN HONG KONG THEY

ALREADY HAVE A DIRECT INTEREST. NOR DO WE EXPECT THAT MINISTERS

WOULD ACCEPT ANYTHING LESS.

4.

ON THE SPECIFIC POINT RAISED BY SMYSER ABOUT THE

REPATRIATION OF KHMER REFUGEES, HE IS CLEARLY CONFUSED. TO THE

BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE NO KHMER IN THAI HOLDING CENTRES HAVE BEEN

'REPATRIATED' TO VIETNAMESE CONTROLLED AREAS, ALTHOUGH UNHCR

HAVE BEEN SEEKING TO NEGOTIATE SUCH A PROCEDURE, IN THE FIRST

INSTANCE TO REUNITE MINOR CHILDREN WITH THEIR RELATIVES, FOR

SEVERAL YEARS. THE RETURNEES' PROGRAMME RUN BY UNHCR VIA

PHNOM PENH IS AIMED ELSEWHERE, SINCE THERE IS LITTLE EVIDENCE

THAT IT EVEN COVERS MANY FROM BORDER ENCAMPMENTS RATHER THAN

VICTIMS OF THE GENERAL DISPLACEMENTS WITHIN CAMBODIA SINCE

1975. THERE HAVE BEEN LIMITED LAOTIAN REPATRIATIONS, BUT THE

CONDITIONS ARE DIFFERENT AND VIETNAMESE CONTROL MUCH LESS

DIRECT.

5.

WE UNDERSTAND THE PRESSURE FROM UNOFFICIALS AND ARE

SORRY TO SEND AN UNHELPFUL REACTION. BUT SUBJECT TO MINISTERS

VIEWS WE THINK IT IS REALISTIC. INVOLUNTARY REPATRIATION (EVEN

IF FEASIBLE) WOULD AROUSE UNACCEPTABLE PRESS AND PARLIAMENTARY

CRITICISM, AND PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS OF CHINA AND VIETNAM DIFFER

SIGNIFICANTLY. IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES WE DO NOT SEE ANY POINT

IN A CONCERTED APPROACH TO HANOI. BUT GRATEFUL FOR A

CLARIFICATION OF YOUR PROPOSALS.

PYM

LIMITED

HKGD

PS/LORD BELSTEAD

PS/MR RIFKIND

FED

SEAD

UND

NEWS DEPT

PS

PS/LPS

PS/PUS

MR GIFFARD

MR DONALD

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