CONFIDENTIAL
by indindar
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would cover only those who could be classified as "economic migrants" and any actual repatriation would have to be based on
assurances from the Vietnamese of humane treatment. If we did
reach agreement with the Vietnamese there would be immense
difficulties about the physical process of repatriating unwilling
victims.
4. In fact, I think it unlikely that we will succeed in
obtaining Vietnamese agreement to a repatriation scheme, certainly
with the sort of safeguards we would consider essential. Such a
pessimistic assessment does not undermine the case for trying.
I believe we have an obligation to Hong Kong to show that we are
making every possible effort to deal with their concerns. As the paper points out, illegal immigrants from China (most of whom have
relatives in Hong Kong) have been repatriated unwillingly for
years. Chinese in Hong Kong are naturally indignant that
Vietnamese (with no similar connections) are treated differently.
Furthermore, despite the criticism of even an attempt to discuss
repatriation, there are some advantages in news about such efforts
leaking. It would help to alert international opinion and other
governments to the continuing gravity of the problem and would
act as a lever for other countries to accept more (ie be a
tonic for the "compassion fatigue" referred to in the paper).
It might also be something of a deterrent to economic migrants
from Vietnam thinking of heading for Hong Kong.
5. If we are to pursue this course, however, I think we should tell UNHCR what we are doing. We must expect them to express reservations, perhaps strongly, even though the paper points out
that there are divided views on this issue within UNHCR,
would be an important of explaining our position to Parliament,
this had to be done, to say that we had told,UNHCR.
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CONFIDENTIAL
D C Wilson
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