TNAG-1796-FCO40-2556-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 215

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MDHIAN 1160

WAS ANYTHING LIKE AS MUCH OF AN INCENTIVE FOR THE VIETNAMESE AS

CASH ON THE NAIL. AS WE EXPECTED, HE WAS NOT MUCH INTERESTED IN WHAT I HAD TO SAY ABOUR OUR EXPERIENCES, AND HE DID ASK ME

WHETHER ANY SUM OF MONEY HAD BEEN MENTIONED.

COMMENT 6.

IT SOUNDS AS THOUGH THE MALAYSIANS ARE NOW UNDER SUCH PRESSURE

THAT THEY ARE PREPARED TO PAY QUITE A LOT TO GET RID OF THE REFUGEE

PROBLEM. THE REFUGEE POPULATION OF PULAU BIDONG HAS

RISEN FROM 8,000 TO 13,000 IN THE LAST YEAR AND THE STATE GOVERNMENT IS PRESSING HARDER THAN EVER OVER THE ISLAND'S

RETURN. I DOUBT WHETHER THEY NOW EXPECT, AS LONG AS THEY SPEND ENOUGH, TO HAVE TO EMBARK UPON THE MELODRAMATIC ALTERNATIVE MENTIONED IN PARA 3 ABOVE OR INDEED WHETHER IT WILL BE DESCRIBED TO THE

VIETNAMESE IN QUITE THESE

TERMS.

SPRECKLEY

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UND

SEAD

PLANNERS

FED

NEWS DEPT

RESEARCH DEPT

HKD

SOVIET DEPT

LEGAL

ADVISERS

PS/MR EGGAR

PS/LORD GLENARTHUR

PS/PUS

MR GILLMORE

MR MCLAREN

SIR J FRETWELL

ADDITIONAL

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CABINET OFFICE

PS/MR PATTEN

MR ROBERT GRAHAM-HARRISON, (EAD, ODA)

COL HINTON, DI ROW 3F, MOD

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