TNAG-1803-FCO40-2563-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-talks-between-the-UK--Hong-Kon-1988 — Page 279

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MDHIAN 5584

CHEF DE MISSION HERE, NOW AN ADVISER IN GENEVA, HAS ALSO PAID A SURPRISE VISIT TO HONG KONG. IN WHAT APPEARS TO BE AN INDEPENDENT INITIATIVE HE HAS SUGGESTED PUBLICLY THAT REPATRIATION ASSISTANCE QUOTE ASSISTANCE TO A COUNTRY FOR REINSERTING IN THE COUNTRY PEOPLE

WHO HAVE LEFT LEGALLY AND WHO GO BACK EITHER VOLUNTARILY OR WITH GUARANTEES UNQUOTE WILL NEED TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION HERE.)

5.

IF

WE NOT FROM CO THACH'S NEWSPAPER INTERVIEW (SEE MIFT) THAT THE

VIETNAMESE ARE VERY LIKELY TO RAISE THE QUESTION OF REINTEGRATION ASSISTANCE SQUARELY AT THE SECOND ROUND. IF, AS SEEMS LIKELY, THE VIETNAMESE INTEND TO TRY TO FUDGE THE ISSUE OF VOLUNTARY OR INVOLUNTARY RETURN, IT MAY THEN BE POSSIBLE TO LEAD THEM TO THE POINT OF ACCEPTING THE PRINCIPLE OF A COMPREHENSIVE SOLUTION. SO, THEN WE FEEL THAT WE SHOULD BE PREPARED TO INDICATE READINESS TO CONTEMPLATE STRUCTURED REINTEGRATION ASSISTANCE. BUT WE WILL ONLY BE ABLE TO DO THIS IF WE HAVE FIRST CLEARED OUR LINES WITH UNHCR. IF WE CANNOT OFFER ANY THOUGHTS ON THIS SUBJECT, THEN WE RISK THE TALKS STALLING DUE TO OUR INABILITY TO CARRY THEM FORWARD.

6.

I HOPE THEREFORE THAT WE CAN ADVANCE OUR THINKING ON THE

PRINCIPLE OF A PILOT OR MODEL SCHEME IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE UNHCR BEFORE THE NEXT ROUND, I.E. IN THE MARGINS OF EXCOM NEXT WEEK. WE WOULD THEN BE IN A POSITION TO GIVE THE VIETNAMESE SOME INDICATION OF OUR THINKING IF YOU JUDGED THE CONDITIONS TO BE RIGHT.

7. AS TO PARA 10 OF FIRST TUR, I AGREE THAT A CLEAR DISTINCTION MUST BE DRAWN BETWEEN PROJECT ASSISTANCE TO SPECIAL COMMUNITIES OF VIETNAN AND PERSONAL ASSISTANCE TO INDIVIDUALS. I WOULD NOT WISH TO PURSUE A HKG FUNDED PROGRAMME OF ASSISTANCE TO INDIVIDUALS. BUT THE VOLUNTARY AGENCIES MAY BE ABLE TO HELP AT THE VERY MODEST LEVES ENVISAGED IN TUR.

8。

ON VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION, THE UNHCR SEEM NOW TO BE MAKING MORE PROGRESS WITH THEIR VALIDATION INTERVIEWS. WE HAVE RECIEVED A TOTAL OF 254 REQUESTS AND THEY HAVE COMPLETED THEIR INTERVIEWS WITH ABOUT 70. WE HOPE TO BE IN A POSITION TO HAND OVER A LIST OF ABOUT 100 NAMES (I.E. VALIDATED BY THE UNHCR) TO THE VIETNAMESE DURING THE SECOND ROUND. WE AGREE WITH THE APPROACH IN PARA 7 OF HANOI'S TELNO 343, AND HOPE THAT THE INCREASED NUMBER WILL ADD WEIGHT TO THEIR CASE.

WE WILL NEED TO INFORM EXCO OF THE LIKELY GROUND TO BE COVERED IN THE SECOND ROUND OF TALKS NEXT WEEK (4 OCTOBER). THIS MAY OF COURSE LEAD TO SOME DISCUSSION OF REINTEGRATION ASSISTANCE. SINCE

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