TNAG-1794-FCO40-2554-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 60

CONFIDENTIAL

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MDHOAN 0250

AUTHORITIES ABOUT THE TREATMENT RETURNEES WOULD RECEIVE AND THE QUESTION OF MONITORING ON THE GROUND (BY UNHCR) TO SEE THAT THERE

WERE NO PROBLEMS IN THEIR REACCEPTANCE AND REHABILITATION

VIETNAMESE SOCIETY.

INTO

7. IT WOULD BE NECESSARY TO STRESS THAT ANY REPATRIATION

PROGRAMME WOULD HAVE TO EMBRACE THOSE WHO HAD EXPRESSED

ΝΟ WISH TO RETURN AS WELL AS VOLUNTEERS: AND THAT FOR THIS TO BE

ACCEPTABLE TO INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC OPINION THE QUESTION OF

ASSURANCES AND MONITORING WOULD HAVE TO BE PROPERLY ADDRESSED.

8.

WE WOULD EXPECT THE VIETNAMESE TO TRY TO FOCUS DISCUSSION ON

THE NEED FOR VARIOUS FORMS OF AID TO FACILITATE THE REPATRIATION

PROCESS. IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT WE PREVENT AID FROM BECOMING A CENTRAL PART OF THE DISCUSSIONS. IF WE DID, WE WOULD LOSE THE

TACTICAL ADVANTAGE: WE MIGHT RAISE VIETNAM'S EXPECTATIONS TO

UNREALISTIC LEVELS: AND WE WOULD RUN THE RISK OF ESTABLISHING A

LINK BETWEEN LARGE SCALE AID AND REPATRIATION, WHICH MIGHT EFFECTIVELY BLOCK PROGRESS ON THE LATTER UNTIL THE POINT WHEN THE

INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL CLIMATE PERMITTED SUBSTANTIVE MOVEMENT ON THE FORMER.

·

9. THE UK SIDE WILL THEREFORE NEED TO BE ARMED WITH A CAREFUL DEFENSIVE LINE ON AID AND THE WIDER REGIONAL ISSUES INVOLVED. IF

ASKED WE WOULD HAVE TO RESTATE OUR POSITION ON BILATERAL AID TO

VIETNAM, WHICH IS WELL KNOWN TO THE VIETNAMESE: ANY CHANGE IN OUR FUNDAMENTAL ATTITUDE TOWARDS AID TO VIETNAM WOULD DEPEND ON

PROGRESS TOWARDS ENDING VIETNAM'S ILLEGAL OCCUPATION OF

CAMBODIA. BUT WE WOULD NOTE THAT UNHCR HAVE ALREADY BEGUN EXPLORING WITH THE VIETNAMESE, WITH THE ENDORSEMENT OF HMG AND OTHER GOVERNMENTS. THE IDEA OF LIMITED AID THROUGH UNHCR CHANNELS DIRECTLY AIMED AT THE RE-INTEGRATION OF RETURNING BOAT

PEOPLE INTO THEIR COMMUNITIES. WE WOULD SUGGEST THAT THIS IS THE

AVENUE WHICH THE VIETNAMESE COULD BEST PURSUE: AND WE WOULD NOT

EXCLUDE SOME PARTICIPATION BY HMG (AND POSSIBLY BY THE EC).

10. WE THINK IT WOULD BE PREMATURE TO TAKE OUR OWN THINKING

FURTHER ON THIS POINT (PARA 6 OF YOUR TUR) UNTIL AFTER OUR

FIRST EXCHANGE WITH THE VIETNAMESE. WE NEED A MUCH FIRMER BASIS

ON WHICH TO CONSULT MINISTERS. BUT WE NOTE WITH APPRECIATION

YOUR ASSESSMENT THAT HONG KONG WOULD BE PREPARED TO CONTRIBUTE TO

SOME MULTILATERAL SCHEME.

11. WE NOTE (HANOI TELNO 259) THAT THE VIETNAMESE ARE PLANNING

FOR ONE DAY OF TALKS TO SETTLE (SIC) MAIN PRINCIPLES FOLLOWED BY

LATER TALKS AT EXPERT LEVEL. WE SHALL CERTAINLY WISH TO ENSURE THAT

THERE IS A SUFFICIENT MEASURE OF PROGRESS TO OPEN THE WAY TO MORE

DETAILED FOLLOW UP: BUT THIS SHOULD BE DIRECTED TOWARDS THE

PRACTICALITIES OF REPATRIATION, NOT (NOT) HANGGLING OVER AID.

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