TNAG-1905-FCO40-2709-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-voluntary-and-mandatory-repat-1989 — Page 352

CONFIDENTIAL

HKB 2+3/3

47

077555

MDHIAN 2169

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 2251

OF 060915Z JULY 89

INFO IMMEDIATE HANOI, UKMIS GENEVA

OPY Tu. Q DIST ?

234

YOUR TELNO 234 TO HANOI : VBP REPATRIATION

1. AS REGARDS PARA 1 OF TUR, THE ONLY MEANS OF MAKING SAVINGS IS BY REDUCING THE COST OF AIR TRANSPORT. WE MAY BE ABLE TO NEGOTIATE A REDUCTION OF UPTO 10 PERCENT IN THE COST OF CHARTERING A BOEING 737 IF AND WHEN WE CAN MAKE A COMMITMENT TO REGULAR WEEKLY FLIGHTS. WE DO NOT BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD PLAN ON MORE THAN 80 REPATRIATES PER 737 FLIGHT, THOUGH THIS CAN BE REVIEWED IN THE LIGHT OF EXPERIENCE. WE ARE ALSO MAKING FURTHER ENQUIRIES AS TO WHETHER HANOI CAN ACCEPT LARGER AIRCRAFT, WHICH WOULD PROBABLY REDUCE THE PER CAPITA COST. FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE COULD USE A TRISTAR, THE AVERAGE COST OF AIR TRANSPORT MIGHT BE REDUCED TO USD450.

2. AS REGARDS PARA 2 OF TUR, WE BELIEVE THAT USD500 TO 600 PER PERSON FOR REINTEGRATION ASSISTANCE IS EXCESSIVE IN THE LIGHT OF

AVERAGE EARNINGS IN VIETNAM. BU? E RECOGNISE THAT, GIVEN THE UNHCR PRECEDENT, WE ARE IN A POOR BARGAINING POSITION. WE THEREFORE AGREE WITH YOUR PROPOSAL.

WILSON

YYYY

ΜΑΙΝ

109

DISTRIBUTION

115

.VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HK

LIMITED

HKD

SEAD

UND

LEGAL ADVISERS

PUSD

ECD (E)

INFO D

FINANCE D

RMD

PS

PS/LORD GLENARTHUR

PS/MR PATTEN ODA

PS MR EGGAR

PS/PUS

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CONFIDENTIAL