TNAG-1905-FCO40-2709-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-voluntary-and-mandatory-repat-1989 — Page 153

PTZAKI

CONFIDENTIAL

Reference...

FILE

Mr Paul, HKD

Mr Colvin, SEAD

Mr Brenton, UND

Mr Burns News Dept

Mr Griffiths, Finance Dept

HKB 243

19

Mr

McLaren

Mr Gillmore

VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE

1.

Just now we are between a rock and a hard place on the issue of Vietnamese boat people. The repatriation exercise which we had hoped would take place on 17 July has slipped from our fingers until Later in August. The media has given extensive coverage to what they believe to be our plans and intentions. Meanwhile the situation in Hong Kong grows worse, with the first main outbreak of violence in the camps since the spate of this year's arrivals raised all the pressures and tensions. Many of our posts around the world have read the news reports and wonder what we're really up to.

2. Careful management can get us out. I attach an attempt to summarise, in tabular form, the various threads of the overall problem. The next months will require some skilfull knitting.

3. I have left two columns at the right-hand end of the table for filling in the names of the lead department and the Minister with direct responsibility. Trying to complete these illustrates succinctly the problem we have in the handling of the Vietnamese boat people issue in the Office: the separation of Left hand and right hand between HKD and SEAD is compounded by the new division of Ministerial responsibility.

4.

May I suggest a solution: that the elements of HKD and SEAD which deal with boat people should combine forces into an inter- deparmental section which would remain in being for as long as necessary until the situation has been brought unter control. Modalities would need to be worked out, but accepting this principle might put one set of hands in charge of the knitting needles.

CODE 18-77

28 July 1989

CONFIDENTIAL

Charles Haswell

CCD Haswell

Hong Kong Department WH312

270 2652