TNAG-1905-FCO40-2709-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-voluntary-and-mandatory-repat-1989 — Page 165

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

CONFIDENTIAL

140676

MDHIAN 4017

(B) THERE WOULD BE ARRANGEMENTS TO MONITOR THE TREATMENT OF THOSE REPATRIATED

(C) REINTEGRATION ASSISTANCE WOULD BE PROVIDED ON LINES SIMILAR TO

THOSE FOR PERSONS RETURNING VOLUNTARILY.

4. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE FACT THAT NO FORCE WILL BE USED IN

REPATRIATING SUCH PERSONS SHOULD NOT BE OVER-EMPHASIZED. THE POINT

WILL REQUIRE VERY DELICATE HANDLING PUBLICLY AND WITH THE MEDIA HERE.

TO SAY EXPLICITLY THAT NO FORCE WILL BE USED WILL CERTAINLY CONVEY A CLEAR MESSAGE TO THOSE TO BE RETURNED, ALL OF WHOM HAVE ACCESS TO RADIO, TELEVISION AND THE PRESS. A LOCAL ACADEMIC 'EXPERT' INTERVIEWED THIS MORNING ON HK RADIO CAME CLOSE TO ADVOCATING

PHYSICAL RESISTANCE BY ALL DETAINEES AS A MEANS OF PREVENTING

REPATRIATION. WE CAN EXPECT FURTHER SUCH UNHELPFUL ADVICE.

WE THEREFORE PROPOSE, IF PRESSED FOR COMMENT, TO SAY ONLY THAT ANY REPATRIATION ARRANGEMENTS WILL BE AN OPERATIONAL MATTER WHOSE DETAILS

WE CAN NOT DISCUSS.

5. THE ABOVE RESPONSES WOULD NOT AFFECT THE LINE PROPOSED IN OUR TELNO 2207, AS MODIFIED BY UKMIS GENEVA TELNO 428, FOR USE WITH ICG AND ASEAN GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES.

WILSON

YYYY

ΜΑΙΝ

109

DISTRIBUTION

115

.VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HK

LIMITED

HKD

SEAD

UND

LEGAL ADVISERS

PUSD

ECD (E)

FED

NAD

NEWS

INFO D

FINANCE D

RMD

PAGE

PS

PS/LORD GLENARTHUR

PS/MR PATTEN ODA

PS MR EGGAR

PS/PUS

MR GILLMORE

MR SLATER

MR MCLAREN

2

CONFIDENTIAL

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