TNAG-1803-FCO40-2563-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-talks-between-the-UK--Hong-Kon-1988 — Page 44

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HANOI

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 379

OF 19041OZ OCTOBER 88

CONFIDENTIAL

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INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, UKMIS GENEVA

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034051 MDHIAN 8055

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HONG KONG TELNO 3854 TO YOU: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE

1. I SPOKE WITH LOCAL UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE YESTERDAY. HE HAD ALREADY

HAD A NUMBER OF DISCUSSIONS WITH THE VIENAMESE AUTHORITIES ABOUT

PRACTICAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR REPATRIATION. THE VIETNAMESE SEEMED TO HIM ANXIOUS TO PRESS AHEAD AND, SENSIBLY, WERE MAKING THE SAME ORGANISATIONAL DISPOSITIONS AS FOR THE ODP I E A NATIONAL FOCAL POIMT CHEADED BY MINISTRY OF LABOUR, DISABLED SOLDIERS AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS) WITH CONTACT PERSONS AT PROVINCIAL AND LOWER PEOPLES COMMITTEE LEVEL, TOTALLING ABOUT 100 PERSONS. THE ASSISTANCE REQUIRED WOULD VARY AS TO WHETHER OR NOT RETURNEES COULD GO BACK INTO FAIMILY ENVIRONMENT BUT WOULD COMPRISE RETURN FARE, FOOD AND HOUSING ALLOWANCE FOR A PERIOD AND OTHER MINOR ITEMS. BAZOCKE THOUGHT THAT A PER CAPITA FIGURE OF LESS THAN US DLRS 1000 WAS LIKELY, WHICH IN HIS PERSONAL OPINION THE UNHCR COULD CERTAINLY FIND IN THE FIRST INSTANCE. AN APPEAL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS WOULD PROB- ABLY GO OUT AFTER THE ICG MEETING. ON STAFF, HE THOUGHT THAT THE ADDITION OF A FLUENT VIETNAMESE SPEAKER WOULD SUFFICE IN THE SHORT

TERM: THE LATTER'S ROLE WOULD BE TO CARRY OUT THE MONITORING FUNCTION (ABOUT WHICH THE VIETNAMESE WERE RAISING NO DIFFICULTIES). 2. BAZOCHE WONDERED ABOUT MEANS OF TRANSPORT FOR THD RETIOIEES. THE SENSIBLE THING WOULD BE TO ARRANGE CHARTER FLIGHTS DIRECT FOM HONG KONG TO HANOI. THE ALTERNATIVE, HEA BANGKK, WOULD OF COURSE BE MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE. I ASSUEME YOU WOULD SEE NO DIFFICULTY IN THIS IF A HONG KONG OR OTHER WESTERN AIRLINE WERE USED. THE VIET-

NAMESE HAVE NOT RAISED THE QUESTION.

BAZOCHE HOPES TO LEARN TODAY WHETHER THE VIETNAMESE WILL ATTEND

THE MEETING IN BANGKOK 27/28 OCTOBER.

3=

4. COLIN PARTRIDGE IS DUE TO LEAVE BANGKOK FR HANOI ON 26 OCTOBER. THERE MIGHT BE ADVANTAGE IN HIM STAYING ON TO ATTEND THE CONFERENCE.

DAVIES

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