TNAG-1905-FCO40-2709-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-voluntary-and-mandatory-repat-1989 — Page 429

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE HANOI

TELNO MISC 278

OF 01050OZ MAY 89

INFO IMMEDIATE FCO, BANGKOK

CONFIDENTIAL

HKB 243/9

14

025005 MDHIAN 2779

VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION:

SECOND BATCH OF RETURNEES

1. ICM HAVE INFORMED US THAT DRAGON AIR HAVE RUN INTO DIFFICULTIES WITH THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES OVER THE CHARTER FLIGHT PLANNED FOR 12 MAY. THEY HAVE SUBMITTED THEIR APPLICATION IN EXACTLY THE SAME WAY AS THEY DID FOR THE FIRST FLIGHT BUT THEY HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT IT MUST BE PRESENTED THROUGH DIPLOMATIC CHANNELS.

2. GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD INFORM MFA THAT THE RETURN OF THE SECOND BATCH OF VOLUNTEERS IS SCHEDULED TO TAKE PLACE ON 12 MAY, THAT A DRAGON AIR CHARTERED AIRCRAFT WILL BE USED AND THAT IT WILL LEAVE HONG KONG AT 0430Z. THIS TIMING MEANS THAT THE AIRCRAFT WILL ARRIVE

AT HANOI DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS.

3. WE HAVE YET TO RECEIVE CLEARANCE FROM THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES FOR THE ADDITIONAL 24 PEOPLE TO JOIN THE FLIGHT. THESE PEOPLE WERE CLEARED BY THE VISITING OFFICIALS SUBJECT TO CONFIRMATION BY HANOI.

WILSON

YYYY

ΜΑΙΝ

96

DISTRIBUTION

102

.VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HK

LIMITED

HKD

SEAD

UND

LEGAL ADVISERS

PUSD

ECD (E)

PAGE

NEWS

PS

PS/LORD GLENARTHUR

PS/MR PATTEN ODA

PS MR EGGAR

PS/PUS

MR GILLMORE

MR SLATER

1

CONFIDENTIAL