*
CONFIDENTIAL
4. It was clear that the Vietnamese would not accept any returns without some reintegration assistance. They confirmed that what they envisaged was on a modest scale, as previously discussed with UNHCR (transport to Vietnam; basic clothing and supplies; housing and domestic items such as tools, seeds, etc; a contribution to the costs of primary education and retraining for adults; and very limited help with administrative costs). On this basis, we agreed to a sentence in the communique stating that the British side was "ready in principle to extend financial assistance towards the organisation of repatriation to, and resettlement in Vietnam". We made it clear that this assistance would be channelled through UNHCR. We will be seeking to quantify the costs more precisely in discussion with UNHCR. But since we are talking at this stage only of 350+ volunteers, and UNHCR have said that they might be able to fund an initial programme from their own resources, any contri- butions from HMG and the HKG should indeed be modest. It should not be difficult to counter attempts to portray what we are doing as "aid for Vietnam".
5. We had some preliminary discussion of the mechanisms for repatriation of volunteers, and agreed that these questions should also be pursued through UNHCR. UNHCR have already suggested to the Vietnamese that a "protocol" covering the basic principles of the repatriation programme and defining the UNHCR role should be drawn up. The Vietnamese told us that they were awaiting a draft of this. We will encourage UNHCR to accelerate their work.
6. The press statement records agreement that "the arrangements should be carried out in a humanitarian way". The Vietnamese said that they had no wish to be branded as human rights' violators and assured us that returnees would be well-treated and would not be punished in any way: but they could not make the last point explicitly because those leaving illegally had broken Vietnamese
They accepted that UNHCR would have to satisfy themselves that returnees would be humanely treated and would wish to monitor the returns for that purpose. The protocol which UNHCR have in mind would in fact cover non-punishment of, and non-discrimation against returnees and monitoring arrangements.
law.
7. The leader of the Vietnamese delegation and I held a joint press conference late yesterday afternoon. The Secretary of State will have seen the coverage in this morning's UK press. We have not yet seen reports of the coverage in Hong Kong, which is likely. to have been extensive.*
8. The Department is preparing the draft of a short minute which the Secretary of State may wish to send to the Prime Minister. This will report on the outcome fo the talks and also deal with her outstanding enquiry about settling boat people in third countries with financial assistance. The Department will also answer the Secretary of State's question about financial implica- tions once we have more detailed estimates, from UNHCR.
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attached.
to have been straight forward
RJT McLaren
A lekegrum just reaived is The coverage seems
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