CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA
TELNO 291
OF 061425Z DECEMBER 88
AND TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
INFO IMMEDIATE HANOI
CONFIDENTIAL
(942
041331
MDHOAN 0554
TOP COPY
MKD 243/8
6DEC 986
940
(941)
HONG KONG'S TELNO 4470 AND UKMIS GENEVA'S TELNO 713:
BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG:
REPATRIATION
VIETNAMESE
1. NOW THAT UNHCR AND THE VIETNAMESE HAVE REACHED AGREEMENT ON
THE MOU WE THINK THE TIME HAS COME TO ASK UNHCR TO CONSIDER
PRACTICAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE RETURN OF THE FIRST BATCH OF
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE. SUBJECT TO YOUR AND HONG KONG'S VIEWS WE SUGGEST THE NEXT STEP WOULD BE FOR YOU TO ASK UNHCR IN GENEVA HOW THEY INTEND TO TAKE MATTERS FORWARD. IN DOING SO, YOU COULD MAKE REFERENCE TO THE PRACTICAL PROBLEMS WHICH WILL NEED TO BE OVERCOME, PARTICULARLY AS REGARDS FLIGHTS, AND THE IMPORTANCE WE ALL ATTACH TO THE FIRST BATCH BEING RETURNED TO VIETNAM BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR. ON AIR ARRANGEMENTS, IT MAY IN FACT BE THAT THE MOST ECONOMIC AND EFFICIENT METHOD WOULD BE TO USE SCHEDULED FLIGHTS VIA BANGKOK IF SMALL NUMBERS ARE INVOLVED (AND IF SEATS ARE AVAILABLE). BUT UNHCR MUST THINK THIS THROUGH, AND THE SOONER THEY START TO DO SO THE BETTER.
2. IF YOU AND HONG KONG AGREE TO THE ABOVE, IT WOULD
SEEM SENSIBLE FOR HONG KONG TO MAKE A SIMILAR APPROACH TO UNHCR CHONG KONG) AFTER YOU HAVE MADE YOUR APPROACH IN GENEVA.
HOWE
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
91
DISTRIBUTION
96
.VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HK
LIMITED
HKD
SEAD
NEWS
PS
PS/LORD GLENARTHUR
PS/MR PATTEN ODA
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CONFIDENTIAL
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