CONFIDENTIAL
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RECEIVE!
INI
STRY
22 SEP 1988
~FICER
STF
stor
837
UNITED KINGDOM MISSION
37-39 RUE DE VERMONT
1211 GENEVA 20
TELEPHONE 34 38 00
33 23 85
CO Hum Esq
Oms
Hong Kong Department
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Dear Christopher,
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE
1.
-
THE WAY FORWARD
26 August 1988
1676,
I agree with your telegram 2144 to Hong Kong that we should concentrate our efforts on the return of the 100 or so volunteers to Vietnam.
2.
At the risk of stating the obvious, I wonder whether you have considered making an early offer of bilateral assistance linked to the return of the volunteers (hopefully soon) rather than to the return of the non-volunteers (more remote).
3.
An offer of modest financial assistance, whether in kind (tools, seeds, etc) or in cash, to help voluntary returnees resettle in Vietnam would serve several purposes. First, it would be seen by UNHCR as a first step towards their idea of multilateral assistance for the return of boat people throughout the region. Second, it would be welcomed by donor countries as a generous humanitarian gesture and encourage them to contribute to a wider scheme. Third, it would give an incentive to the Vietnam authorities to agree more swiftly to their return. Lastly, it might encourage more boat people in Hong Kong, especially the more recent arrivals, to volunteer to avoid prolonged detention. The more volunteers the better as others have noted, we
-
are going to have problems with virtually everyone (UNHCR, Vietnam, other donors, British public opinion) over enforced repatriations.
Jous
ever,
John
J A Sankey
Cc:
P Williams Esq UND, FCO
CCW Adams Esq, South-East Asian Dept, FCO RD Clift Esq, Hong Kong ET Davies Esq CMG, Hanoi
CONFIDENTIAL
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