TNAG-1792-FCO40-2552-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 196

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Refrence..

HUD 243/8

нед

Note for the File

988

UN 243/518/1

cc: Miss J Slater, HDK, FCO

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG: VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION

1.

Miss Minja Yang, the Desk Officer for Hong Kong in UNHCR's Asia Bureau, called on 25 April about voluntary repatriation cases in Hong Kong. With reference to the four cases approved by the Vietnamese Government (reference Hanoi unnumbered telno of 20 April), she said that two had changed their minds about wanting to return to Vietnam. UNHCR had sent a telex (on 21 April) to their representative in Hong Kong urging him to tell these two that, as the Vietnamese Government had approved their repatriation, UNHCR had to make sure that they did not miss this opportunity to return and that they should understand that if they changed their minds again, government approval may not be forthcoming a second time.

2. Miss Yang also mentioned the case of seven voluntary repatriation candidates from the group of 21 former ex-Navy personnel who had arrived in Hong Kong in October 1987 on a Vietnamese Navy boat. They had originally requested repairs and left Hong Kong, returning later with damaged engines. 14 decided to stay in Hong Kong and seven decided to apply for voluntary repatriation. These seven were apparently worried that they might face punishment on return to Vietnam if the boat (ship no HQ 970-D6)

not repaired and also returned to Vietnam. Miss Yang said that the Hong Kong Government had asked UNHCR to tell the Vietnamese Government that this was a bilateral issue and that the Vietnamese should contact the British Embassy in Hanoi about the boat. Miss Yang asked me whether there had been any discussions about the boat

(a)

(b)

between the Vietnamese and British Governments through the British Embassy in Hanoi;

between the Vietnamese and Hong Kong Governments.

26 April 1988

Jacker.

D J Walker (Miss)

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