TNAG-1796-FCO40-2556-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 276

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELNO 2144

OF 1913OOZ AUGUST 88

CONFIDENTIAL

676

177707

MDHOAN 2730

HKD 243/8

R

STRY

22 AUG 1988

ISTRY

N

INFO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA, HANOI, WASHINGTON, BANGKOK, PEKING INFO PRIORITY KUALA LUMPUR, TOKYO

660-2

YOUR TELNOS 3065-7: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG: THE WAY

FORWARD

1. THANK YOU FOR TURS, WHICH WE DISCUSSED YESTERDAY WITH THE GOVERNOR. WE HAVE THE FOLLOWING FURTHER COMMENTS.

OBJECTIVES IN FURTHER TALKS

2. WE DO NOT ENTIRELY FOLLOW THE ARGUMENT IN PARAS 4-5 OF FIRST TUR ABOUT REDUCTION OF OUR EXPOSURE AS DEMANDEURS. WE AGREE THAT

OUR IMMEDIATE OBJECTIVE (BECAUSE IT IS THE MORE READILY

ATTAINABLE ONE) MUST BE TO REDUCE THE OUTFLOW OF BOAT PEOPLE FROM

VIETNAM. BUT WE DO NOT THINK THAT THE LONGER-TERM OBJECTIVE OF

REPATRIATION CAN BE TREATED AS SUBORDINATE. BOTH OBJECTIVES TO BE PURSUED IN TANDEM.

3

HAVE

IT MUST ALREADY BE CLEAR TO THE VIETNAMESE THAT WE ARE

LOOKING FOR REALISTIC AND EFFECTIVE MEASURES ON THEIR PART TO STEM THE OUTFLOW, AS AGREED IN THE HANOI PRESS STATEMENT. WE

MUST MAINTAIN THE PRESSURE ON THEM (SEE BELOW). BUT IT MUST BE

DOUBTFUL WHETHER IT IS IN THEIR POWER TO STOP THE OUTFLOW

OVERNIGHT. IT COULD WELL BE SELF DEFEATING TO ESTABLISH TO0

STRONG A LINK OF CONDITIONALITY BETWEEN THEIR ACTION OVER THE OUTFLOW AND PROGRESS ON A BROADER FRONT, FOR EXAMPLE BY MAKING THE CESSATION OF DEPARTURES A PRE-CONDITION FOR FURTHER ROUND OF TALKS (AS PARA 5 SEEMS TO IMPLY). WE NOTE IN

THAT CONNECTION THAT THE ACTING GOVERNOR WAS REPORTED ON 18

AUGUST AS SAYING THAT NO FURTHER TALKS WOULD BE HELD UNTIL THERE WAS A SUBSTANTIAL REDUCTION IN ARRIVALS IN HONG KONG.

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AND THE ROLE OF UNHCR

4。

A

GUARANTOR

WE NEED THE COOPERATION OF UNHCR AS INTERNATIONAL

OF THE HUMANENESS OF ANY REPATRIATION SCHEME: AS A CONDUIT FOR

RE-INTEGRATION ASSISTANCE: AND AS SUPERVISOR OF A RE-INTEGRATION PROGRAMME. THIS MEANS CARRYING THEM WITH US, WHILE COUNTERING AS

BEST WE CAN THEIR TENDENCY TO BE BUREAUCRATIC (CF THE TIMETABLE

FOR FUTURE ACTION ENVISAGED BY DE MELLO IN UKMIS GENEVA TELNO 452, WHICH STRETCHES FROM HERE TO ETERNITY). IT ALSO MEANS TEMPERING UNHCR'S NATURAL INCLINATION TO FAVOUR MULTILATERAL

ARRANGEMENTS. WE SHALL HAVE TO PERSUADE UNHCR TO ACT SPEEDILY

1

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CONFIDENTIAL