TNAG-1795-FCO40-2555-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 298

CONFIDENTIAL

075313

MDLIAN 4288

RETURNING BOAT PEOPLE. MUCH WORK TO BE DONE AND SHOULD NOW EXCHANGE VIEWS IN DETAIL. NECESSARY FIRST STEP TO ENABLE US TO REPORT PROGRESS ΤΟ AUTHORITIES IN LONDON AND HK.

C -

VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT SHOULD:

(A) CONDUCT SEPARATE SCREENING OF BOAT PEOPLE NOW IN HONG KONG: (B) TAKE PART IN HONG KONG'S SCREENING PROCESS.

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6. RECOGNISE SOME ARRANGEMENT NECESSARY FOR VIETNAMESE TO VERIFY LISTS OF THOSE SCREENED OUT BY HONG KONG TO ESTABLISH THEIR PLACE OF ORIGIN, DATE OF DEPARTURE ETC. VERY IMPORTANT THAT THIS PROCESS BE DONE QUICKLY. SQUARE BRACKETS BEGIN DEPENDING ON COURSE OF TALKS SQUARE BRACKETS ENDS HAVE LISTS OF FIRST GROUP OF THOSE SCREENED OUT. GRATEFUL IF VERIFICATION CAN START IMMEDIATELY.

7. SQUARE BRACKETS BEGIN AS REQUIRED SQUARE BRACKETS ENDS OUR PROCESS IS THOROUGH AND EFFECTIVE. BASED ON APPROVED AND INTERNATION- ALLY ACCEPTED CRITERIA. INDICATES CLEARLY WHICH BOAT PEOPLE ARE GENUINE ASYLUM SEEKERS AND WHICH ARE MERELY SEEKING BETTER ECONOMIC CONDITIONS.

8. COULD NOT AGREE TO JOINT SCREENING. NOT APPROPRIATE FOR ANOTHER GOVERNMENT TO TAKE PART IN OUR IMMIGRATION PROCESSING.

WOULD SERIOUSLY DELAY DECISION.

9. SEPARATE SCREENING BY VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES WOULD ALSO CAUSE DELAYS.

FORD

YYYY

DISTRIBUTION

49

ΜΑΙΝ

48

.HONG KONG AGREEMENT

. (RESTRICTED)

LIMITED

HKD

HD/FED

RESEARCH (FE)

PUSD

PS/LORD GLENARTHUR

PS/MR EGGAR

PS/PUS

MR MCLAREN

MR GILLMORE