TNAG-1906-FCO40-2710-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-voluntary-and-mandatory-repat-1989 — Page 136

CONFIDENTIAL

TEXAAA

IMMEDIATE

ZCZC

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELNO

OF 1010157 AUGUST 89

INFO IMMEDIATE HANOI, UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON, PARIS

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 of 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

HKD

CCD HASWELL

270 2652

by