TNAG-1905-FCO40-2709-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-voluntary-and-mandatory-repat-1989 — Page 224

CONFIDENTIAL

HKB

101

123715

MDHIAN 3296

27319

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO DESKBY 14130OZ FCO

TELNO 2374

OF 14120OZ JULY 89

AND TO IMMEDIATE WASHINGTON, HANOI, UKMIS GENEVA

PERSONAL FOR MCLAREN FROM GOVERNOR

(a)

MY 2ND IPT : YOUR TELNOS 1505 AND 1506 : VBP : REPATRIATION : PRESENTATIONAL ASPECTS

1.

AFTER DEPARTURE OF PLANE FROM HANOI, WE WILL ISSUE THE FOLLOWING PRESS RELEASE :

BEGINS

THE GOVERNMENT TODAY,

REPATRIATED TO VIETNAM

VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE WHO DO NOT QUALIFY AS

A GROUP OF

REFUGEES.

COMPRISING

MEN,

WOMEN,

BOYS AND

GIRLS,

THEY WERE BOAT PEOPLE WHO HAD BEEN SCREENED OUT AS NON-REFUGEES AND WHOSE APPEALS HAD BEEN REJECTED.

''THEY WERE FLOWN BACK TO HANOI ON A CHARTERED 737 FLIGHT

SAID A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN. ''THEIR RETURN HAS BEEN ARRANGED FOLLOWING AN EXPANSION OF CURRENT REPATRIATION ARRANGEMENTS TO

INCLUDE PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT ACTIVELY VOLUNTEERED. THE VIETNAMESE

GOVERNMENT HAS GIVEN ASSURANCES THAT THE RETURNEES WILL BE TREATED HUMANELY AND, AS IN THE CASE OF VOLUNTARY RETURNEES, WILL NOT BE PUNISHED FOR HAVING LEFT VIETNAM CLANDESTINELY. THE

BRITISH EMBASSY IN HANOI WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MONITORING THEIR CONDITIONS AFTER THEIR RETURN, WHILE DISCUSSIONS WILL CONTINUE WITH THE UNHCR ON THE POSSIBLE INVOLVEMENT OF THEIR OFFICE'

TI

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE REPATRIATION SCHEME INCLUDED REINTEGRATION ASSISTANCE FOR THE RETURNEES, ON SIMILAR LINES TO THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION.

''THE GROUP WERE FLOWN BACK TO VIETNAM THIS MORNING IN THE COMPANY OF HONG KONG IMMIGRATION AND POLICE OFFICERS,' HE SAID.

''IT MUST BE EMPHASIZED THAT TODAY'S REPATRIATION DID NOT INVOLVE

1

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CONFIDENTIAL