TNAG-1906-FCO40-2710-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-voluntary-and-mandatory-repat-1989 — Page 127

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195

021677

MDHOAN 1618

HKB

243/9.

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELNO 1689

OF 1110OOZ AUGUST 89

INFO IMMEDIATE HANOI, UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON, PARIS

(184)

YOUR TELNO 2624 : VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE : REPATRIATION

1. MINISTERS ARE WELL AWARE OF THE DIFFICULTIES YOU HAVE BEEN ENCOUNTERING IN ASSEMBLING CANDIDATES FOR THE FIRST BATCH OF NON VOLUNTEERS. THEY ARE ALSO ACUTELY CONSCIOUS OF THE EXTREME DELICACY OF THE OPERATION, PARTICULARLY AGAINST THE BACKGROUND OF MEDIA SPECULATION AND EXTREME PRESSURES THAT HAVE ARISEN SINCE NEWS OF THE PLANS FIRST LEAKED OUT.

2.

THE GOVERNOR HAD USEFUL TALKS ABOUT THE PROBLEM IN LONDON ON 7 AUGUST AND EMPHASISED TO MINISTERS THE PRESSURES IN HONG KONG, NOT ONLY OF SHEER NUMBERS, BUT ALSO OF PUBLIC OPINION. ALL THIS UNDERLINES THE NEED TO MAKE AN EARLY START WITH MANDATORY REPATRIATION TO VIETNAM OF THOSE SCREENED OUT. BUT MINISTERS ATTACH PARTICULAR IMPORTANCE TO ENSURING THAT THE CRUCIAL FIRST OPERATION IN THE SERIES SHOULD NOT IN ANY WAY MISFIRE AND PROVOKE CRITICISM OR A REACTION IN THE CAMPS WHICH WOULD MAKE THE SUBSEQUENT RETURN OF FURTHER GROUPS MORE DIFFICULT (IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE) TO CARRY OUT. THAT WOULD ONLY SERVE TO COMPOUND OUR DIFFICULTIES.

3.

WE FACE A NUMBER OF IMMEDIATE DIFFICULTIES. IT IS CLEAR THAT THE IDENTIFICATION OF A FIRST GROUP OF PEOPLE DRAWN FROM THE QUOTE GREY AREA UNQUOTE IS NOT GOING TO BE AS EASY AS WE HAD HOPED. SECONDLY WE HAVE ENCOUNTERED PARTICULARLY PERSISTENT OPPOSITION FROM THE AMERICANS WHICH IS FEEDING THROUGH TO OTHERS (EG UNHCR). THIRDLY, THE ARRANGEMENTS WE HAVE IN PLACE TO MONITOR THE CONDITIONS OF THE FIRST GROUP ONCE THEY HAVE RETURNED LACK CREDIBILITY. WE DOUBT WHETHER THIS IS SOMETHING THE EMBASSY COULD TAKE ON ALONE. AND THERE IS A WORRYING ABSENCE OF ANY PROVISION FOR INDEPENDENT MONITORING. THIS WILL LEAVE US VULNERABLE TO CRITICISM : IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO DEFEND SUCH ARRANGEMENTS IN THE FACE OF A DETERMINED ATTACK. AS YOU MAY BE AWARE, MEDIA COVERAGE OF THE WHOLE BOAT PEOPLE ISSUE OVER THE PAST WEEKS HAS GENERATED AN ATMOSPHERE OF SUSPICION ABOUT OUR INTENTIONS WHICH HAS HEIGHTENED SCRUTINY OF OUR ACTIONS.

4.

MINISTERS HAVE THEREFORE DECIDED THAT IT WOULD BE SENSIBLE TO DELAY THE REPATRIATION OF THE FIRST GROUP TO GIVE US MORE TIME TO

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