TNAG-1906-FCO40-2710-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-voluntary-and-mandatory-repat-1989 — Page 120

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MDHIAN 2090

GOVERNMENT SIMPLY CANNOT GO ON ACCEPTING EVERY VIETNAMESE WHO ARRIVES IN HONG KONG AND BUILDING NEW CAMPS TO HOUSE THEM, UNLESS SOME TANGIBLE PROOF OF A DURABLE SOLUTION IS DEMONSTRATED VERY

SOON.

4. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS RELFECT THIS GENERAL VIEW IN BOTH

THEIR PRIVATE AND PUBLIC STATEMENTS AND THEIR RELUCTANCE TO

APPROVE FURTHER FUNDS IN FINANCE COMMITTEE. THERE HAVE BEEN FREQUENT CALLS FOR EITHER THE IMMEDIATE IMPLEMENTATION OF

MANDATORY REPATRIATION OR AN END TO THE FIRST ASYLUM POLICY. OUR

EXPLANATIONS THAT ENDING FIRST ASYLUM IS NOT A REALISTIC OPTION SIMPLY ADD TO THE GENERAL SENSE OF FRUSTRATION. PATIENCE IS WEARING THIN AND EARLY ACTION IS ESSENTIAL. SEEN FROM HERE THEREFORE WE NEED TO SET A DATE FOR THE RETURN OF THE FIRST GROUP

SOME TIME DURING THE FIRST HALF OF SEPTEMBER: PREFERABLY THE FIRST WEEK.

5. ONCE THE AGREEMENT WITH THE VIETNAMESE HAS BEEN CONCLUDED WE

ASSUME THAT THE BRIEFINGS PROPOSED IN FIRST TUR WILL GO AHEAD. WE UNDERSTAND THE VIETNAMESE SENSITIVITIES OVER SECRECY BUT WE SEE A STRONG CASE FOR PROVIDING LEGCO MEMBERS WITH A SIMILAR BRIEFING. AS WE HAVE EXPLAINED IN THIRD TUR, WE NEED TO AVOID ANY REFERENCE TO THE DATE FOR THE RETURN OF THE FIRST GROUP OR DETAILS OF THE OPERATIONAL ARRANGEMENTS. SUBJECT TO YOUR VIEWS, WE WOULD AIM TO BRIEF MEMBERS BEFORE THE END OF AUGUST.

6.

THE CSD TEAM HAS CONTINUED ITS COUNSELLING WORK WITH THE 20

PEOPLE AT PHOENIX HOUSE AND ALSO WITH THE 114 PEOPLE AT CHIMAWAN WHO HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS THE MOST LIKELY TO ACQUIESCE. WE

SHALL CONTINUE TO GIVE THIS WORK A HIGH PRIORITY AND PRESS THE

UNHCR TO SPEED UP ITS OWN VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION COUNSELLING. THEY ARE CURRENTLY ALLOCATING SCANT RESOURCES TO THIS WORK, WE SUSPECT IT IS A DELIBERATE ATTEMPT TO PLAY IT LONG. THERE ARE

CLEAR SIGNS THAT THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT PREPARED TO VOLUNTEER ARE ALSO UNLIKELY TO ACQUIESCE. THIS SEEMS TO BE THE RESULT OF GROWING PEER PRESSURE TO RESIST REPATRIATION OF ANY KIND. WE

NOW HAVE SOME DOUBTS ABOUT BEING ABLE TO IDENTIFY A GROUP OF

COMPLIANT NON-VOLUNTEERS. AT PRESENT WE ARE PLANNING ON THE BASIS THAT IT WILL BE POSSIBLE TO IDENTIFY 30-50 PEOPLE FROM THE

SO-CALLED GREY AREA AND THAT THE OPERATION CAN BE SUCCESSFUL

WITHOUT THE USE OF MINIMUM FORCE. BUT THESE ASSUMPTIONS MAY

HAVE TO BE REASSESSED.

7. WE UNDERSTAND THAT MINISTERS HAVE AUTHORISED PLANNING FOR

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