MKD 24318
Mr Colvin
SEAD
RESTRICTED
ENALAPA
W4/12
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2112
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From: RJT McLaren
02
134
Date:
29 November 1988
Cc:
Mr Hum, Hong Kong Dept
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG
1.
My wife and I were guests of the Vietnamese Ambassador at dinner last night, along with members of the Department and their wives. I took the opportunity to urge the need for early progress in repatriating the first group of volunteers from Hong Kong. The Ambassador said that he had received no recent information from Hanoi on the subject and did not know how matters stood. But he recalled that the two sides had agreed at the second round of talks that the first repatriations should take place before the end of the year. He asked what the difficulties were. I said it was not entirely clear. As I understood it, the Vietnamese Ministry of Labour had been insisting on bilateral reintegration assistance in addition to assistance channelled through the UNHCR, but that problem appeared to be on the way to resolution. There were also still some points to be settled in the protocol between the Vietnamese authorities and UNHCR, notably on the question of non-punishment for returnees. I hoped all these problems could be settled soon. Boat people were continuing to arrive in Hong Kong and it was very important that the deterrent message should be reinforced by some early and well publicised returns. I asked Mr Hung to convey these points to his Government. He undertook to do so.
RESTRICTED
R JT McLaren
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