TNAG-1905-FCO40-2709-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-voluntary-and-mandatory-repat-1989 — Page 8

نال

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 2624

OF 041145Z AUGUST 89

CONFIDENTIAL

HKB 243 la

INFO IMMEDIATE HANOI, UKMIS GENEVA

TOP COP Q DIST ?

002553 MDHIAN 5697

18

YOUR TELNO 1630: OUR TELNO MISC 653 TO HANOI: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: REPATRIATION.

YOU WILL HAVE SEEN FROM SECOND TUR THAT WE HAVE SERVED THE NOTICES OF THE REJECTION OF APPEAL TO 240 PEOPLE AND IDENTIFIED A GROUP OF ABOUT 114 WHO MAY BE PREPARED TO ACQUIESCE IN REPATRIATION. WE ARE ALLOWING UNHCR TWO WEEKS TO COUNSEL THE 114 ON VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION AND WE HOPE THAT THIS WILL ALSO BE SUFFICIENT TIME FOR THE VIETNAMESE TO CLEAR THESE NAMES FOR RETURN. IN THE MEANTIME WE SHALL CONTINUE WITH OUR OWN COUSELLING AND ASSESSMENT WORK WITH A VIEW TO SELECTING A FINAL GROUP OF 20-40 FROM THE 114 PEOPLE ON THE NEW LIST AND THE 20 AT PHOENIX HOUSE. OUR ESTIMATE AT THIS STAGE IS THAT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO SELECT THE FINAL GROUP AND ASSEMBLE THEM, PROBABLY AT PHOENIX HOUSE, DURING THE WEEK BEGINNING 21 AUGUST.

2. AT THAT STAGE, AND IN THE LIGHT OF OUR ASSESSMENTS OF THE GROUP, WE SHALL FINALISE THE OPERATIONAL ARRANGEMENTS. WE MAY HAVE TO INCLUDE THE POSSIBILITY OF SOME MINIMUM DEGREE OF PHYSICAL PERSUASION BUT SHORT OF PHYSICALLY LIFTING, IF THIS IS JUDGED AT THE TIME TO BE UNAVOIDABLE. IF WE JUDGED THIS TO BE THE CASE WE WOULD NOT THEN INVITE THE OBSERVERS TO BE PRESENT, BUT WOULD INSTEAD KEEP A VERY CLEAR RECORD OURSELVES OF THE WHOLE OPERATION.

3. WE UNDERSTAND THE ARGUMENT IN FAVOUR OF BRIEFINGS ONCE AN AGREEMENT WITH THE VIETNAMESE HAS BEEN CONCLUDED. THERE WOULD HOWEVER BE A DANGER THAT SUCH BRIEFINGS WOULD PUT US UNDER MORE DIPLOMATIC PRESSURE, AND, IF THE BRIEFINGS WERE LEAKED, PRESSURE AS WELL, OVER THE DATE AND ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE RETURN OF THE FIRST GROUP. OUR JUDGEMENT IS THAT ON BALANCE THERE IS SOMETHING TO BE GAINED FROM SUCH BRIEFINGS PROVIDED THEY GO NO FURTHER THAN A GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE AGREEMENT WITH VIETNAM. WE SHOULD HOWEVER REFUSE TO COMMENT IN PRIVATE OR IN PUBLIC ON THE PLANS FOR THE RETURN OF THE FIRST GROUP.

4. THERE REMAINS A DISTINCT POSSIBILITY THAT, DESPITE ALL OUR EFFORTS, WE SHALL NOT BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY A GROUP WHICH WILL NOT/NOT

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