TNAG-1795-FCO40-2555-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 140

CONFIDENTIAL

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MDHIAN 9433

(A) THEY HAD RISKED THEIR LIVES AND SOLD ALL THEIR PROPERTY TO MAKE A JOURNEY TO THE FREE WORLD. THEY WOULD RATHER DIE THAN GO BACK TO

VIETNAM:

(B) THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT HAD A RECORD OF FAILING TO KEEP THEIR

PROMISES:

(C)

THEY WOULD STAGE A HUNGER STRIKE UNTIL UNHCR AND HKG GAVE THEM

A GUARANTEE THAT TALKS ON REPATRIATION WOULD CEASE.

6. KARIM SAID THAT THE UNHCR VIEW WAS THAT THERE SHOULD BE NO REPATRIATION WITHOUT ASSURANCES FROM THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT ON THEIR SAFE RETURN. WHILE HE UNDERSTOOD THEIR CONCERNS, HE ALSO REMINDED THEM THAT SCREENING RESULTS WERE NOT YET KNOWN AND NO ONE HAD BEEN TOLD OF THEIR STATUS AS REFUGEES OR OTHERWISE. EVEN WHEN THE RESULTS ARE KNOWN, THERE WILL BE APPEAL CHANNELS.

7. THE MEETING WAS CONDUCTED IN A CALM AND IN THE CIRCUMSTANCE AMICABLE MANNER ALTHOUGH THEY CONTINUED TO INSIST THAT HKG AND UNHCR SHOULD GIVE THEM A GUARANTEE THAT HKG WOULD CEASE TO HAVE TALKS WITH

VIETNAM ABOUT REPATRIATION.

8. POSITION AS AT 18.00 HRS. ON 4 AUGUST IS AS FOLLOWS:

THE INMATES OF HEI LING CHAU HAVE REFUSED TO TAKE THEIR EVENING MEAL. THE CSD STAFF ARE CONTINUING TO URGE THEM TO END THEIR PROTEST OR AT LEAST TO ALLOW THE CHILDREN TO TAKE THEIR MEALS. THERE IS NO PROGRESS AT THE MOMENT BUT THE CAMP REMAINS CALM. SLOGANS ABOUT REPATRIATION HAVE BEEN PUT UP ON BED BOARDS AROUND THE CAMP.

ASSESSMENT

9. THE PROTEST HAS BEEN PEACEFUL AND WELL ORGANISED WITH THE FOCUS OF ATTENTION BEING REPATRIATION RATHER THAN CONDITIONS IN THE CAMPS. THE SITUATION IS CALM BUT IT IS DIFFICULT TO GAUGE AT THIS STAGE HOW LONG THE PROTEST WILL CONTINUE. ANY REPORTS FROM HANOI ABOUT INVOLUNTARY REPATRIATION WILL FUEL THE PROTEST. (WE ARE MAINTAINING A HIGH STATE OF ALERT HERE AND AT ALL OTHER CAMPS TONIGHT).

10.

THE PRESS HAVE GOT WIND OF THE PROTEST THROUGH THE UNHCR AND WE HAVE PREPARED A LINE WHICH SIMPLY CONFIRMS THAT A PEACEFUL PROTEST HAS TAKEN PLACE AND IS CONTINUING, THAT IT CONCERNS REPATRIATION NOT CONDITIONS IN THE CAMP S AND THAT UNHCR AND HKG OFFICIALS HAVE SPOKEN TO THE INMATES AND URGED THEM TO END THEIR PROTEST.

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