TNAG-1748-FCO40-2467-Visit-by-Sir-Geoffrey-Howe--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-a-1988 — Page 184

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3. MEMBERS WILL BE ASKED TO (NEXT WORD UNDERLINED) ADVISE WHETHER

THE ABOVE RECOMMENDATION SHOULD BE APPROVED.

BACKGROUND

REPATRIATION

4.

ON 8 DECEMBER 1987, MEMBERS CONSIDERED MEMORANDUM XCC(87)179 (ANNEX A) AND AGREED, INTER ALIA, THAT HONG KONG SHOULD CONTINUE WITH THE CLOSED CENTRE POLICY WHILE REQUESTING HMG TO PURSUE THE REPATRIATION OF NEWLY ARRIVED ECONOMIC MIGRANTS WITH THE VIETNAMESE

GOVERNMENT BOTH BILATERALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY.

5.

"

ALL EFFORTS TO PRODUCE A SATISFACTORY AGREEMENT WITH THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT ON REPATRIATION HAVE SO FAR MET WITH DISCOURAGING RESULTS. THE HANOI GOVERNMENT MAINTAINS THAT THE ECONOMIC SITUATION WITHIN ITS COUNTRY DOES NOT ALLOW THE RETURN OF THOSE WHO HAVE DEPARTED ILLEGALY AND THAT ANY REPATRIATION PROGRAMME WOULD BE WORTHLESS BECAUSE THE DETERIORATING ECONOMY IN VIETNAM WOULD FORCE THOSE REPATRIATED TO ATTEMPT TO LEAVE AGAIN. AS A RESULT THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT STEADFASTLY REFUSES TO CONSIDER ACCEPTING THE RETURN OF ANY SUCH PEOPLE EXCEPT ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS. THERE HAS IN RECENT MONTHS BEEN A SMALL, BUT PERHAPS SIGNIFICANT, INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF REFUGEES IN HONG KONG VOLUNTARILY REQUESTING REPATRIATION TO VIETNAM. THREE SUCH REFUGEES HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFULLY RETURNED AND THERE ARE A FURTHER 13 CASES OUTSTANDING. IT IS TOO EARLY TO SAY WHETHER THIS REPRESENTS A TREND OR WHETHER THE RESPONSE OF THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES WILL BE SUFFICIENTLY QUICK AND COOPERATIVE TO ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO SEEK VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION.

6. ALTHOUGH THE IDEA OF REPATRIATION TO VIETNAM AND OF AID TO FACILITATE SUCH A PROCESS IS BECOMING MORE ACCEPTABLE TO WESTERN COUNTRIES, THE VIETNAMESE OCCUPATION OF KAMPUCHEA REMAINS AN OBSTACLE TO A COMPREHENSIVE AID PROGRAMME. THE RECENT TALKS BETWEEN THE VARIOUS FACTIONS OF THE KAMPUCHEAN GOVERNMENT AND THE POSSIBILITY OF A WITHDRAWAL OF VIETNAMESE TROOPS IN 1990 OFFER SOME HOPE THAT THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT MAY IN TIME BE ABLE TO IMPROVE ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD. BUT CHANGING THE VIETNAMESE POSITION WILL BE A LONG AND SLOW PROCESS, AND WITHOUT THEIR COOPERATION THERE IS LITTLE PROSPECT OF REPATRIATION SUCCEEDING AS A DURABLE SOLUTION TO THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEE PROBLEM.

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