TNAG-1905-FCO40-2709-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-voluntary-and-mandatory-repat-1989 — Page 269

CONFIDENTIAL

HKB 24319

αι

117735

MDHIAN 3065

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HANOI

TO DESKBY 13093OZ FCO

TELNO 359

OF 13065OZ JULY 89

AND TO DESKBY 13100OZ HONG KONG

YOUR TELNO 248: VBP REPATRIATION

1

·

M

TOP COPY Q DIST ?

WHAT CAN I SAY EXCLAM. YOU WILL, I HOPE, HAVE SEEN MY TELNO 357 GIVING AN ACCOUNT OF WHERE WE STAND OVER THE ''AGREED MINUTE I AM SURE THAT THE VIETNAMESE WILL FIND

IT DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND OUR DIFFICULTIES AND/OR DESIRE

TO LIMIT THE SCOPE OF OUR AGREED MINUTE TO THE FIRST BATCH OF RETURNEES ONLY. THEY WILL, I AM SURE, SUSPECT THAT WE ARE TRYING TO START THE REVIEW PROCEDURE AT AN EARLY STAGE

SO AS TO REOPEN DISCUSSION ON THE PER CAPITA FIGURE FOR REINTEGRATION ASSISTANCE. ALSO, I AM SURE THAT THE VIETNAMESE WILL WANT SOME MONEY BEFORE THE FIRST FLIGHT. IF WE TRY AND CHANGE TACK NOW AS YOU SUGGEST, I FEAR THAT THE WHOLE PROCESS COULD UNRAVEL AND WE COULD RISK A SIGNIFICANT DELAY TO THE

FIRST RETURNS. MAYBE THIS IS INEVITABLE.

2.

I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT GIVEN THE SERIOUSNESS OF HONG KONG'S POSITION AND THE IMPORTANCE THAT MINISTERS OBVIOUSLY PLACE IN SOMEHOW GETTING BOAT PEOPLE BACK TO VIETNAM, WE COULD SIGN THE AGREED MINUTE AS IT BASICALLY NOW STANDS AND START THE PROGRAMME OF RETURNS ON THE WELL-NOUNDED ASSUMPTION THAT THE TREASURY AND FINANCE COMMITTEE WILL AGREE TO FUND IT. FOR THEM NOT TO DO SO WOULD SEEM TO BE TOTALLY ILLOGICAL AND RUN COUNTER TO THE DIRECTION OF POLICY SO CLEARLY SET BY MINISTERS. HOWEVER, YOU ARE, OF COURSE, BEST PLACED TO DECIDE ON THIS.

3.GIVEN THAT THIS WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE I COULD:

(A) TRY AND LIMIT THE AGREED MINUTE TO THE FIRST BATCH: OR (B) TELL THE VIETNAMESE THAT WE MUST DELAY UNTIL WE ARE READY TO SIGN FOR THE FIRST 1,000.

4.

I AM NOT CONFIDENT ABOUT ACHIEVING (A). A VARIATION ON (B) MIGHT BE TO DELAY AGREEMENT ON AN EXTENDED PROGRAMME AND OFFER AS COMPENSATION AS IT WERE TO FUND RETURNS ON A BATCH BY BATCH BASIS, OFFERING A FIGURE PER HEAD SOMEWHAT HIGHER THAN 600 DOLLARS AND WITHOUT MAKING ANY DEMANDS ABOUT ACCOUNTS. COULD YOU FIND FUNDS FOR THIS? THIS WOULD CLEARLY NOT BE SATISFACTORY AND I AM FRANKLY

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