TNAG-1425-FCO40-1908-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-general-1985 — Page 227

128

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HANOI 24053OZ APR 85

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

CONFIDENTIAL

TELEGRAM NUMBER 158 OF 24 APRIL

PRIORITY INFO HONG KONG, UKMIS GENEVA

124

YOUR TELNO 539 OF 18 APRIL (TO HONG KONG)

MKK 243/5.

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

2 4 APS 1985

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES/POLICY PAPER FOR MINISTERS: REP

INDEX

TON

Do Taken

ад

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.

RETURN,

2. THE VIETNAMESE ALSO CLAIM THAT IF THEY ALLOW REFUGEES TO 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.

4. ALTHOUGH FCO ENVISAGE THAT WE SHOULD SEEK APPROPRIATE

GUARANTEES ON THE FUTURE TREATMENT OF RETURNING REFUGEES, I DOUBT

THE VIETNAMESE WILL DO MORE THAN SAY THAT AS WE APPEAR NOT TO WANT

THEM (AND INDEED ARE PREPARED TO FORCE THEM TO RETURN), GUARANTEES ARE HARDLY OUR CONCERN. WHATEVER THEY SAY, EVEN IF THAT INCLUDES BLAND PROMISES OF SOME GUARANTEES, I DO NOT SEE HOW WE CAN

ADEQUATELY MONITOR THE ACTUAL TREATMENT OF ANY REFUGEES WHO RETURN. IF IT LATER EMERGED THAT SUCH REFUGEES WERE BADLY TREATED, IT SEEMS

TO ME THAT HMG COULD INCUR ODIUM TWICE OVER: FOR FORCIBLY

REPATRIATING IN THE FIRST PLACE AND, LATER, FOR ACCEPTING VIETNAMESE

GUARANTEE WHICH WE SHOULD HAVE KNOWN WOULD BE WORTHLESS..

5. FCO PLEASE PASS TO ALL ADDRESSEES AND COPY TO SEAD, FCO.

(REPEATED AS REQUESTED)

WOOD

MINIMAL

HKD SEAD UND

CONFIDENTIAL