TNAG-1906-FCO40-2710-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-voluntary-and-mandatory-repat-1989 — Page 128

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MDHOAN 1618

PREPARE THE GROUND THOROUGHLY IN ADVANCE.

THEY UNDERSTAND YOUR

DESIRE TO MOVE QUICKLY. BUT THEY ATTACH THE GREATEST PRIORITY TO GETTING IT RIGHT FIRST TIME. THEY REGARD THIS AS ESSENTIAL.

5. THE WORK OF SELECTING OUT THOSE LIKELY TO ACQUIESCE CAN AND MUST CONTINUE. IN THE MEANTIME WE WILL TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF

THE TIME AVAILABLE :

(A) TO TRY ONCE MORE TO PERSUADE THE AMERICANS TO ACCEPT OUR

POLICY

(B) TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM OF MONITORING IN VIETNAM.

(C) TO DO ALL WE POSSIBLY CAN TO GENERATE AN ATMOSPHERE IN WHICH INTERNATIONAL OPINION AND (THROUGH THIS) THOSE SCREENED OUT IN

HONG KONG ARE MORE LIKELY TO ACCEPT THE INEVITABILITY AND

RATIONALE OF REPATRIATION TO VIETNAM.

6. GILLMORE IS VISITING WASHINGTON ON 14 AUGUST TO REITERATE OUR ARGUMENTS TO THE AMERICANS. THERE IS AT LEAST A GLIMMER OF HOPE THAT THEY ARE NOW COMING ROUND TO UNDERSTANDING WHAT WE ARE

TRYING TO DO, AND WE SHOULD BUILD ON THIS.

7. WE ARE NOW WORKING ON IDEAS TO IMPROVE MONITORING AND WILL

REVERT ON THIS. WE WOULD IDEALLY WANT TO SECURE (POSSIBLY WITH US HELP) UNHCR INVOLVEMENT IN MONITORING OF A NON VOLUNTARY

REPATRIATION PROGRAMME. BUT WE ARE LOOKING AT OTHER WAYS OF PUTTING PRESSURE ON UNHCR, AS WELL AS ALTERNATIVE ARRANGEMENTS FOR INDEPENDENT MONITORING (EG BY NGOS) IN SUPPORT OF THE EMBASSY.

8. MINISTERS ATTACH PARTICULAR IMPORTANCE TO A RENEWED EFFORT TO

INCREASE PUBLIC AND FOREIGN GOVERNMENTAL UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WE

ARE DOING AND WHY. THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF ILL INFORMED CAND THEREFORE DAMAGING) ARTICLES IN THE UK AND INTERNATIONAL PRESS.

WE NEED TO RESTORE THE BALANCE. IT WOULD BE PARTICULARLY HELPFUL

IF YOU COULD SUGGEST POTENTIAL AUTHORS (EG CHRIS BALE OF OXFAM) OF ARTICLES WHICH WE WOULD TRY TO GET PUBLISHED HERE.

9.

THE ATTITUDE OF MIND OF THOSE WHO WILL BE RETURNED TO VIETNAM

IS ALSO A VITAL ELEMENT IN THE PROGRAMMES SUCCESS. A DELAY AT

THIS TIME OFFERS AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AGAIN CLOSELY AT THE COUNSELLING ARRANGEMENTS FOR THOSE WHO ARE SCREENED OUT. WE SHOULD BE DEVOTING RESOURCES TO COUNSELLING THEM IN THE FIRST INSTANCE TO VOLUNTEER, BUT FAILING THIS, TO ACQUIESCE IN REPATRIATION. THEY SHOULD BE FULLY AWARE OF THE REINTEGRATION ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE TO THEM AND OF THE VIETNAMESE ASSURANCES OF HUMANE TREATMENT. WE ARE CONSIDERING INVOLVING OTHER NGOS IN THIS WORK, AND WILL BE PUTTING SUGGESTIONS TO NGO LONDON HEADQUARTERS. AND WE MIGHT ALSO APPROACH ICM ON THE QUESTION OF COUNSELLING PEOPLE TO VOLUNTEER, AN ACTIVITY IN WHICH THEIR EXPERTISE WAS DESCRIBED IN THEIR PRE-ICIR PAPER (UKMIS GENEVA

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