TNAG-1905-FCO40-2709-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-voluntary-and-mandatory-repat-1989 — Page 256

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CONFIDENTIAL

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MDHOAN 921

4. WE DO NOT OF

COURSE INTEND TO BRIEF ANY JOURNALISTS IN ADVANCE OF THE EVENT.

BUT IT IS CERTAIN THAT NEWS OF THE REPATRIATION FLIGHT WILL BREAK VERY SOON AFTER IT HAS TAKEN PLACE, IF NOT BEFORE. WE THEREFORE

SEE ADVANTAGE IN TAKING THE INITIATIVE TO BRIEF THE

MEDIA AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AFTER THE OPERATION HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED. THE

AIM WOULD BE TO ENSURE THAT THERE WAS NO MISUNDERSTANDING ABOUT

THE BASIS ON WHICH THE REPATRIATION WAS TAKING PLACE AND THAT THE BACKGROUND TO OUR DECISION TO PROCEED WAS FULLY APPRECIATED. MIFT CONTAINS A PROPOSED LINE TO TAKE ON WHICH WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR AND HANOI'S COMMENTS. SUBJECT TO HANOI'S VIEWS

AND ONCE WE HAVE A FIRM DATE FOR THE DEPARTURE OF THE FIRST GROUPS, WE WOULD SEE VALUE IN TELLING THE VIETNAMESE WHAT WE INTEND. WE WOULD NEED TO EXPLAIN TO THEM THE

IMPOSSIBILITY OF MAINTAINING CONFIDENTIALITY ONCE REPATRIATION

BEGINS.

5. TWO FURTHER IDEAS HAVE OCCURRED TO US WHICH YOU MAY WISH TO CONSIDER. FIRST, WE WONDERED WHETHER IT WOULD BE WORTH GETTING THE REPATRIATES TO SIGN A PIECE OF PAPER STATING THAT THEY HAD HOPED TO BE RESETTLED IN THE WEST, BUT THAT WHEN IT BECAME CLEAR THAT THERE WAS NO PROSPECT OF THIS THEY ACCEPTED THAT THEY SHOULD RETURN TO VIETNAM. SECONDLY,

SECONDLY, WOULD THERE BE ANY ADVANTAGE IN FILMING THE REPATRIATION EXERCISE, SO AS TO REASSURE POTENTIAL CRITICS THAT NO FORCE WAS USED?

6.

WE CLEARLY NEED TO CONSIDER ALL THESE POINTS CAREFULLY AND TO PUT THE NECESSARY ARRANGEMENTS IN PLACE. MOREOVER THERE ARE

STILL DIFFICULTIES TO BE RESOLVED OVER FINANCE AND

THE EXACT TERMS OF THE AGREED MINUTE. IT IS MORE IMPORTANT

TO GET THESE DETAILS RIGHT THAN TO MEET A PARTICULAR TARGET DATE.

IT WOULD ALSO MAKE SENSE TO ALLOW A GAP OF AT LEAST 48 HOURS BETWEEN COMPLETION OF ALL NECESSARY ARRANGEMENTS AND THE ACTUAL OPERATION. APART FROM ANYTHING ELSE WE NEED TO WARN MINSTERS WHAT IS TO HAPPEN AND WHEN (THE PRIME MINSTER AND THE SECRETARY OF STATE WILL BE IN PARIS OVER THE WEEKEND). FOR ALL THESE REASONS WE WOULD

BE CONTENT TO SEE THE TARGET DATE SLIP BY 2-3 DAYS.

7. IN THE LIGHT OF WASHINGTON TELNO 1874 WE ARE REVISING FURTHER THE BRIEFING FOR THE PRIME MINISTER'S MEETING WITH BUSH AND THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S MEETING WITH BAKER IN PARIS, TO FOREWARN THE AMERICANS THAT THE FIRST GROUP OF NON-VOLUNTEERS COULD BE RETURNED AS EARLY AS NEXT WEEK, AND THAT ONLY ABOUT 20 PEOPLE WILL BE

INVOLVED.

AS REGARDS BRIEFING OF OTHER GOVERNMENTS, WE THINK THAT IT WOULD BE POLITIC TO BRIEF ICG AND ASEAN

8.

2

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