TNAG-1792-FCO40-2552-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 124

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INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, HANOI

YOUR TELNO 130 AND HANOI TELNO 00 TO UKMIS GENEVA: VIETNAMESE

REFUGEES: VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION

1. MISS YANG, UNHCR, HAS TOLD US THAT, FOLLOWING RETURN OF TWO OF THE FOUR VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION CASES, ON 9 MAY, UNHCR HAVE SPOKEN TO THE OTHER TWO (WHO HAD CHANGED THEIR MINDS ABOUT RETURNING). THEY HAVE SINCE TOLD THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES THAT THE RETURN OF THESE TWO HAS BEEN QUOTE POSTPONED UNQUOTE. UNHCR WILL MEANWHILE CONTINUE TO PERSUADE THEM TO RETURN.

2. WITH REGARD TO THE TUGBOAT CREW, MISS YANG SAYS THAT THE APPLICATION FORMS FOR VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION OF THE SEVEN WERE SENT

TO THE UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE IN HANOI LAST WEEK, FOR FORWARDING BY NOT VERBALE TO THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES. THE VIETNAMESE

AUTHORITIES HAVE NOT RAISED THE QUESTION OF THE REPATRIATION OF THE

SEVEN WITH UNHCR. MISS YANG SUGGESTED THAT HMA HANOI MAY LIKE TO

DISCUSS THE ISSUE WITH THE UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE BEFORE HE TOOK

ACTION.

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