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FM HANOI 142026Z NOV 82
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TO PRIORITY HONG KONG
AND TO PRIORITY FCO
INFO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA, HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE, LONDON
TELEGRAM NUMBER 35 OF 26 NOVEMBER
VIETNAM: VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION
HKK 243 BALDIVAD -
5
NO. ST
HONG KONG TELNO 28
DESK
INDEX
1. THE VIETNAMESE ARE CURRENTLY ATTEMPTING TO INT
APPROACH AND SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING ODP CASES:
- 2 FEB 1933
CODUCE AW
#HOD OTHER
RECIPIENT COUNTRIES, ARE RESISTING CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THE VIETNAMESE PROPOSALS. AT THE SAME TIME, THE VIETNAMESE ARE BEGINNING TO RAISE THE CAMBODIAN (SINO-KHMER) ''REFUGEE'' ISSUE - IN WHICH WE ARE EQUALLY RELUCTANT TO BECOME INVOLVED. ON BOTH THESE MATTERS IT IS PREFERABLE TO CONTINUE TO DEAL WITH THE VIETNAMESE VIA UNHCR AND IT WOULD BE BETTER IF WE COULD AVOID DEALING BILATERALLY WITH THE VIETNAMESE ON AN ISSUE AS SENSITIVE TO THEM AS REPATRIATION.
2. THE LENGTH OF TIME IT TAKES TO PROCESS A VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION CASE IS CAUSED BY THE INTENSE VIETNAMESE SUSPICION OF ANYONE WILLING TO RETURN. SHOULD WE BECOME DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THE REPATRIATION PROCESS, VIETNAMESE SUSPICIONS, AND HACKLES, MAY BE RAISED EVEN FURTHER. THIS COULD HAVE THE REVERSE EFFECT OF WHAT YOU REQUIRE IN THE WAY OF SPEEDIER PROCESSING AND HAVE A NEGATIVE EFFECT ON OUR RELATIONS WITH THEM.
3. I ASSUME UNHCR IN HONG KONG PASS ON REPATRIATION APPLICATIONS TO THEIR HANOI OFFICE FOR THEM TO PUT TO THE VIETNAMESE. IF THIS IS SO, I SUSPECT THAT UNHCR HERE CONSIDER SUCH CASES IN SLOW TIME AND AS LOW PRIORITY - FOR FEAR OF ROCKING THE BOAT. RATHER THAN BECOMING DIRECTLY INVOLVED WITH THE VIETNAMESE OURSELVES, AN ALTERNATIVE MIGHT BE FOR YOU TO CONTINUE TO USE UNHCR HONG KONG TO PROCESS THE APPLICATIONS AND FOR US TO PROD THEM HERE EVERY SO OFTEN. YOU WOULD NEED TO SEND US CASE DETAILS SHORTLY AFTER YOU KNEW THAT HCR HONG KONG HAD PASSED THE DETAILS TO THEIR HANOI OFFICE. IF YOU THINK THIS IS WORTHWHILE, 1 COULD TAKE SOUNDINGS WITH UNHCR: PERHAPS YOU WOULD ALSO LET US
KNOW WHAT THE PRESENT MONTHLY CASE LOAD IS.!!
ROBERTS
BOAT PEOPLE
LIMITED
VITRY Vastion Taken
SEAD
HK & GD
UND
FED
MAED PS PS/PUS MR WRIGHT
ECD
PUSD
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ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION
BOAT PEOPLE
COPIES TO
MR SIDDLE
LEGAL ADVISER
CONFIDENTIAL
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