TNAG-1425-FCO40-1908-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-general-1985 — Page 218

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133

GR 400

CONFIDENTIAL

KONG

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG 290845Z APR 85

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON

TELEGRAM NUMBER 357 OF 29 APRIL

INFO IMMEDIATE HKGO BRUSSELS (JONES), HKGO NEW YORK (DORWARD), HKGO WASHINGTON (LO), HKGO GENEVA (CARTLAND)

FOLLOWING TELEGRAM NOW REPEATED TO YOU AT REQUEST OF SECURITY

BRANCH, WAS RECEIVED FROM HANOI

BEGINS:

TO IMMEDIATE F C O

TELEGRAM NUMBER 158 OF 24 APRIL

INFO-PRIORITY HONG KONG, UKMIS GENEVA

MKK 243/5

RECEIVEL IN REGISTRY 30 APR 1985

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

PA

Actich lakun

an

YOUR TELNO 539 OF 18 APRIL (TO HONG KONG) VIETNAMESE REFUGEES/POLICY PAPER FOR MINISTERS: REPATRIATION

1. I HAVE SPOKEN AGAIN IN GENERAL (IN THE LIGHT OF THE UNHCR'S VISIT IN JANUARY) WITH THE UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE (ROLF GULDBERG) ABOUT

REPATRIATION AND HIS DISCUSSIONS WITH THE VIETNAMESE ON THIS.

GULDBERG SAID HE DETECTED NO SIGNS OF A WILLINGNESS ON THE PART

OF THE VIETNAMESE TO ACCEPT A RETURN OF ANY REFUGEES. THE

VIETNAMESE HAVE TOLD HIM THAT THOSE WHO HAVE LEFT DID SO BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT THE GRASS WAS GREENER OUTSIDE. THEY MUST NOW PUT UP WITH THAT, WHATEVER THEY NOW FEEL.

2. THE VIETNAMESE ALSO CLAIM THAT IF THEY ALLOW REFUGEES TO RETURN, SOME OF THEM WILL NOT BE GENUINE BUT WILL COME TO SUBVERT OR TO

SPY. IN THE LIGHT OF THE SPY TRIALS HERE, AT THE END OF 1984, THEY ARE NOT PREPARED TO TOLERATE THIS. EVEN VIETNAMESE FISHERMEN, WHO HAVE GENUINELY BEEN BLOWN BY LOCAL STORMS INTO OTHER COUNTRIES'

TERRITORIAL WATERS, HAVE NOT FOUND IT EASY TO BE ALLOWED BACK.

3. SO FAR AS INVOLUNTARY REPATRIATION IS CONCERNED, I ENTIRELY ENDORSE THE WORRY IN FCO TUR, PARAS 5 AND 6. THE IMPLICATIONS OF ANY DISCUSSIONS LOCALLY WITH THE VIETNAMESE WILL, AS FCO HAVE POINTED OUT, CLEARLY IMPLY THAT WHAT WE HAVE IN MIND IS INVOLUNTARY REPATRIATION. THE VIETNAMESE WILL UNDOUBTEDLY SEEK TO MAKE INTER- NATIONAL CAPITAL OUT OF THIS. THE VIETNAMESE WILL SAY THAT WE ARE STRONGLY CRITICAL OF THEIR HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD AND WILL ASK THE WORLD AT LARGE HOW WE CAN SQUARE THIS CRITICISM WITH A PROPOSAL TO REPATRIATE REFUGEES BY FORCE.

CONFIDENTIAL

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