TNAG-1905-FCO40-2709-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-voluntary-and-mandatory-repat-1989 — Page 326

CONFIDENTIAL

HKB 243/9

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 2266

OF 070500Z JULY 89

INFO IMMEDIATE HANOI, UKMIS GENEVA

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YRTELNOS 237 AND 238: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: REPATRIATION

1. WITH REGARD TO PARAGRAPH 2A OF THE FIRST TUR WE HAVE CONSIDERED YOUR SUGGESTION TO AMEND THE REFERENCE TO QUOTE THE BRITISH AND HONG KONG SIDE UNQUOTE IN THE SECOND TUR. WE STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT WE MUST RETAIN OUR PROPOSAL THAT THE REFERENCE SHOULD BE TO QUOTE THE BRITISH SIDE UNQUOTE WITHOUT SPECIFYING HONG KONG. THE REASONS FOR THIS ARE

THAT:

A) FINANCE COMMITTEE APPROVAL CAN DEFINITELY NOT BE TAKEN AS A FORMALITY, AND

B) WHEN MEMBERS OF FINANCE COMMITTEE LEARN THAT THEIR APPROVAL OF FUNDS HAS BEEN ASSUMED IN THIS WAY, A VERY ADVERSE REACTION CAN BE EXPECTED. WE MUST DO ALL WE CAN TO AVOID THIS HAPPENING.

2. WE MUST THEREFORE URGE YOU TO CONFINE THE WORDING TO QUOTE THE BRITISH SIDE UNQUOTE. THIS WAS THE FORM OF WORDS USED IN THE DOCUMENT INITIALLED IN HANOI ON 26 JUNE. THERE IS ALSO THE POINT THAT IF FINANCE COMMITTEE SUBSEQUENTLY REFUSED FUNDS, THE OPTION WOULD BE OPEN TO HMG TO SUSPEND OR DISCONTINUE THE REPATRIATION EXERCISE.

3. WE ARE CONTENT THAT THE NATURE OF THE AGREEMENT SHOULD BE QUOTE AN ARRANGEMENT UNQUOTE RATHER THAN QUOTE AN AGREEMENT UNQUOTE.

4. AS TO PARAGRAPH 5 OF THE FIRST TUR, WE AGREE THAT PAYING REINTEGRATION ASSISTANCE TO THE VIETNAMESE SHOULD BE RELATED TO THE NUMBER OF NON-REFUGEES RETURNED AND THAT PAYMENT OF THE SUM INVOLVED SHOULD BE PHASED, SAY QUARTERLY IN ADVANCE, AS OPPOSED TO THE ENTIRE AGREED AMOUNT IN ADVANCE.

WILSON

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CONFIDENTIAL