TNAG-1905-FCO40-2709-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-voluntary-and-mandatory-repat-1989 — Page 69

CONFIDENTIAL

HKB

243/a

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELNO 1630

OF 01183OZ AUGUST 89

INFO IMMEDIATE HANOI, UKMIS GENEVA

173

173074

MDHOAN 5901

TOP COPY Q DIST ?

YOUR TELNO 2561: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: REPATRIATION

1. WE APPRECIATE THE ARGUMENTS SET OUT IN YOUR TELEGRAM FOR

DELAYING THE SIGNING AND ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE AGREEMENT WITH THE

VIETNAMESE UNTIL JUST BEFORE THE RETURN OF THE FIRST GROUP. WE ARE IN PARTICULAR AWARE THAT PUBLICITY ABOUT OUR INTENTION TO REPATRIATE A FIRST BATCH OF NON-VOLUNTEERS IS CREATING DIFFICULTIES FOR YOU IN CAMP MANAGEMENT AND, IT SEEMS, CAUSING SOME BOAT PEOPLE TO CHANGE THEIR MINDS ABOUT ACQUIESCING IN THEIR

RETURN TO VIETNAM.

2. ON THE OTHER HAND, WE DO SEE SOME ADVANTAGES IN CONCLUDING THE AGREEMENT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND, WITH THE AGREEMENT OF THE VIETNAMESE, PUBLICISING THE FACT. THAT WOULD ENABLE US TO PUT AN

END TO MUCH OF THE SPECULATION ABOUT THE CONTENTS OF THE

AGREEMENT. IT WOULD ALSO MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR US TO TAKE THE

INITIATIVE IN EXPLAINING IN GREATER DETAIL THAN HITHERTO THE POSITIVE FEATURES OF THE AGREEMENT, INCLUDING THE ASSURANCES OF NON-PUNISHMENT GIVEN BY THE VIETNAMESE, THE MONITORING ARRANGEMENTS AND THE RATIONALE BEHIND THE REINTEGRATION ASSISTANCE. AS LONG AS THE AGREEMENT HAS BEEN, FORMALLY SPEAKING UNDER WRAPS, WE HAVE BEEN INHIBITED FROM DOING THIS. WE NEED NOW

TO GO FROM DEFENCE TO ATTACK.

3.

WE TAKE THE POINT ABOUT THE EFFECT OF PUBLICITY ON THE

ATTITUDE OF BOAT PEOPLE IN THE CAMPS. BUT WE WONDER IF THIS

COULD NOT BE COUNTERED BY MORE SYSTEMATIC COUNSELLING, FOR EXAMPLE BY THE NGOS OR THE ICM (YOUR TELNO 2184).

WE

4. WE ALSO APPRECIATE THAT ANNOUNCEMENT OF AN AGREEMENT MIGHT

PROVOKE MORE INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC PRESSURE. BUT SEEN FROM HERE, THERE IS NOW AN URGENT NEED TO LOBBY GOVERNMENTS WHO ARE LIKELY TO BE SYMPATHETIC TO OUR POINT OF VIEW, SUCH AS THE AUSTRALIANS, THE ASEAN COUNTRIES AND SOME OF OUR EC PARTNERS. COULD DO THIS MORE EFFECTIVELY ON THE BASIS OF A FIRM AGREEMENT. 5. THERE WILL IN ANY CASE BE GROWING SPECULATION ABOUT THE

REASONS FOR DELAYING THE AGREEMENT, GIVEN THAT THE RETURN OF THE FIRST GROUP HAS BEEN EXPECTED FOR SOME WEEKS NOW. WE SHOULD BE

GRATEFUL FOR YOUR ADVICE ON HOW WE MIGHT CONVINCINGLY EXPLAIN THE

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CONFIDENTIAL