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175021 MDHOAN 5598
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FM FCO
TO DESKBY 10010OZ HONG KONG TELNO 1178
OF 091330Z MAY 88
INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIŞ GENEV A
(134)
TOP COPY O DIST ?
YOUR TELNO 1709: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: OPERATION BEETLE
1.
WE WILL NEED TO CONSULT MINISTERS ABOUT THE TIMETABLE SET OUT IN TUR AND IN PARTICULAR THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TIMING OF ANY POLICY CHANGE AND THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISIT. WE INTEND TO SUBMIT ON 10 MAY (THE SECRETARY OF STATE IS ABROAD TODAY) ON THE BASIS OF TUR. BUT IT WOULD HELP US IN FURTHER EXPLAINING THE CASE TO MINISTERS AND RESPONDING TO MISGIVINGS WHICH THEY HAVE EXPRESSED IF WE COULD ALSO LET THEM KNOW IN AS MUCH DETAIL AS POSSIBLE HOW YOUR THINKING IS DEVELOPING ON THE PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE POLICY.
2.
WE APPRECIATE THAT YOU ARE HEAVILY ENGAGED IN THE PROBLEMS ARISING FROM THE RECENT INFLUX OF BOAT PEOPLE AND IN PRACTICAL PLANNING ASSOCIATED WITH YOUR THINKING ON A CHANGE IN POLICY. HOWEVER WE WOULD BE MOST GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD LET US HAVE A TELEGRAM, DESKBY 10093OZ, SUMMARISING THE PRESENT STATE OF YOUR THINKING ON THE FOLLOWING ASPECTS, MANY OF WHICH WERE RAISED IN OUR TELNO 984 OF 19 APRIL:
(A) SCREENING PROCEDURES AND POSSIBLE UNHCR INVOLVEMENT: HOW TO
STRIKE THE BALANCE TO ACHIEVE A SCREENING PROCEDURE WHICH IS BOTH INTERNATIONALLY ACCEPTABLE AND HAS A DETERRENT EFFECT? ACCESS TO RESETTLEMENT OF THOSE SCREENED OUT:
(B) (C) LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL RESETTLEMENT OF THOSE IN HONG KONG
PRIOR TO ANY CHANGE IN POLICY: HAVE YOU CONSIDERED THE QUOTE WORST CASE UNQUOTE SCENARIO WHICH WOULD INVOLVE HONG KONG ABSORBING MOST IF NOT ALL THOSE CURRENTLY IN THE CAMPS? (D) THE POSSIBILITY OF MOVING THOSE NOW IN CLOSED CENTRES TO OPEN CENTRES, AND ACCOMMODATING THOSE SCREENED-IN UNDER FUTURE ARRANGEMENTS IN OPEN CENTRES:
(E) HOW DO YOU ENVISAGE CONTROLLING THE CENTRES IN WHICH THOSE
SCREENED-OUT ARE TO BE DETAINED? WE ARE SURE YOU WILL SHARE OUR CONCERNS OVER MANAGEMENT. PROBLEMS OF A POTENTIALLY LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WITH THE PROSPECT OF RETURN TO VIETNAM AT A DATE WHICH COULD BE A LONG TIME IN THE FUTURE.
3.
ANY ANSWERS YOU CAN GIVE AT THIS STAGE WILL ALSO HELP US TO THINK THROUGH THE PRESENTATIONAL PROBLEMS WE WILL FACE IN SELLING ANY NEW POLICY TO THE RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES AND UNHCR, WE WILL OF
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