TNAG-1795-FCO40-2555-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 35

CONFIDENTIAL

163641

MDHOAN 2382

(C)

B

THE

VENUE OF THE NEXT ROUND) IF IN SO DOING, WE SATISFY THE VIETNAMESE DESIRE TO BE TREATED AS EQUALS BUT AVOID DAMAGING OUR OWN POSITION ON MATTERS OF SUBSTANCE: THERE IS ALSO A DOMESTIC POLITICAL DIMENSION. PROVISION OF REINTEGRATION ASSISTANCE WOULD INVOLVE A SIGNIFICANT DEPARTURE FROM OUR LONG-STANDING POLICY OF REFUSING ALL AID TO THE VIETNAMESE UNTIL THEY HAVE WITHDRAWN FROM CAMBODIA IT IS A POLICY TO WHICH VIRTUALLY ALL OUR WESTERN PARTNERS, AS WELL AS ASEAN ADHERE. WHAT IS NOW PROPOSED COULD BE OPEN TO THE CRITICISM IN PARLIAMENT AND THE MEDIA THAT WE ARE IN EFFECT GIVING IN TO BLACKMAIL BY PAYING THE VIETNAMESE TO TAKE THEIR OWN PEOPLE BACK: WE MUST BE IN A POSITION TO COUNTER SUCH CRITICISM EFFECTIVELY. WE MUST ALSO RECOGNISE, AND ENSURE THAT MINISTERS ARE AWARE, THAT INVOLUNTARY REPATRIATION AND THE POSSIBLY DISTRESSING SCENES

INVOLVED COULD ATTRACT ATTENTION AND CRITICISM FROM THE

MEDIA AND VOLUNTARY AGENCIES.

ACTION IN LONDON

4. ALL OF THESE ARE ARGUMENTS FOR PROCEEDING METHODICALLY AND PREPARING OUR POSITION WITH CARE. WE HAVE ESTABLISHED THE FOLLOWING PROGRAMME FOR ACTION AT THIS END:

(A) THIS WEEK WE PROPOSE TO EXPLORE WITH THE ODA THE

(B)

(C)

POSSIOLE AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS WHICH COULD BE USED FOR LIMITED REINTEGRATION ASSISTANCE:

THIS MAY ENABLE US TO DISCUSS MODALITIES MORE FULLY WIT UNHCR ALBEIT ON A CLEAR BASIS OF NO COMMITMENT AT THIS STAGE:

WE SHALL THEN PREPARE A SUBMISSION TO GO TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE AS SOON AS HE RETURNS TO THIS COUNTRY CON 30 AUGUST) TOGETHER WITH DRAFT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HIM TO PUT TO THE PRIME MINISTER AND COLLEAGUES. GIVEN THE EXTREME SENSITIVITY OF THE ISSUE, THERE IS NO WAY IN WHICH THESE STEPS CAN BE ACCELERATED OR BY-PASSED. TIMING OF FURTHER TALKS

5.

6. AS WE HAVE ALREADY WARNED, THE PACE OF WORK THIS END

INEVITABLY HAS IMPLICATIONS

TALKS WITH THE VIETNAMESE.

FOR THE TIMING OF THE SECOND ROUND OF IT WOULD BE UNWISE TO CONSIDER A

FORMAL OFFER OF DATES BEFORE COLLECTIVE MINISTERIAL ENDORSEMENT OF OUR STRATEGY HAS BEEN SECURED. IN ANY EVENT TALKS IN THE FIRST WEEK OF SEPTEMBER WOULD LEAVE LITTLE TIME FOR THE VIETNAMESE OR OURSELVES TO DIGEST THE OUTCOME OF THE VISIT BY THE MALAYSIAN DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER TO HANOI.

VENUE

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