TNAG-1905-FCO40-2709-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-voluntary-and-mandatory-repat-1989 — Page 299

CONFIDENTIAL

HKB 243 19.

Q DIST?

73)

111313

MDHIAN 2735

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HANOI

TO DESKBY 11070OZ FCO

TELNO 353

OF 11043OZ JULY 89

AND TO IMMEDIATE DESKBY 11070OZ HONG KONG

INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA

66

MY TELNO 347:

VBP

REPATRIATION

1.

WE ARE A LITTLE FURTHER FORWARD.

2.

LAST NIGHT OVER DINNER I COMPLAINED TO PHAM LAN PHNONG, ACTING DIRECTOR OF EUROPE II, ABOUT CHUONG'S INTRANSIGNENCE AND REPEATED OUR VIEW THAT THE VIETNAMESE SHOULD ACCEPT LESS THAN THE UNHCR FIGURE OF 719 DOLLARS BECAUSE:

(A)

VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS WILL NOT NEED TO TRAVEL TO HONG KONG

(B) OTHER ADMIN OVERHEADS HAVING ONCE BEEN CAKEN CARE OF BY THE

UNHCR SHOULD NOT NEED DUPLICATING

(C) UNHCR EXPENDITURE WAS N IN ANY CASE PROBABLY LWXXXX LOWER THAN

719 DOLLARS.

3.

PHUONG ACCEPTED THE FIRST TWO POINTS BUT REJECTED THE THIRD.

I REPEATED THAT I HAD ABSOLUTELY NO AUTHORITY TO GO AS HIGH AS 719

DOLLARS BUT MIGHT BE ABLE TO IMPROVE ON 500 DOLLARS. IF ONLY THE

MINISTRY OF LABOUR WOULD SHOW SOME SIGN OF FLEXIBILITY WE COULD

AGREE ON A FIGURE SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE. PHUONG PROMISED TO SPEAK TO VU KHOUN THIS MORNING.

4.

I HAVE JUST HEARD FROM THE MINISTRY OF LABOUR THAT THE HEAD OF THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS DEPARTMENT, MR LUC, WILL NOW BE IN CHARGE OF NEGOTIATIONS AND I AM SEEING HIM TOMORROW AT 12070OZ CHUONG MAY HAVE BEEN TAKEN OFF THE CASE OR HE MAY HAVE LEFT FOR THE

PROVINCES WITH LE THO OF CONSULAR DEPARTMENT TO DISCUSS THE RETURN

OF THE FIRST 26. IN ANY CASE THE MESSAGE OVER THE TELEPHONE VIA

OUR INTERPRETER IS THAT THEY ARE PREPARED TO ACCEPT FIGURE LOWER THAN 719 DOLLARS.

COINCIDENTALLY (I THINK) I HAVE BEEN CALLED TO SEE NGUYEN CO

THACH THIS AFTERNOON TOGETHER WITH HEADS OF MISSION OF THE COUNTRIES

5.

1

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