CONFIDENTIAL
нив 243зја
la
233
071662
MDHIAN 3794
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HANOI
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 444
OF 31061OZ AUGUST 89
AND TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
INFO PRIORITY UKMIS
VBP:
1
D
REPATRIATION
GENEVA
à DIST
VIST ?*
ARE YOU YET IN A POSITION TO SAY HOW WE SHOULD PROCEED?
IF WE HAVE TO ABANDON THE IDEA OF ACQUIESCENT REPATRIATION AND
SECRECY, THEN WE ARE MORE OR LESS BACK TO SQUARE ONE AND WE COULD FACE A LONG HAUL IN GETTING VIETNAMESE AGREEMENT TO REVISED
PLANS. IF WE WANT A FIRST BATCH OF NON-VOLUNTEERS BACK BY END
OCTOBER THEN WE SHOULD GET STARTED. I MUST SAY THAT I CANNOT AGREE
WITH PARA 2 OF HONG KONG'S 2835 OF 25 AUGUST THAT WE ARE NOW
CLOSE TO CONCLUDING THE AGREEMENT ON REPATRIATION' AND THAT THERE ARE ONLY ''ONE OR TWO OUTSTANDING ISSUES''
2.
-
1
SECRECY: FROM UK NEWSPAPER ARTICLES THAT I HAVE NOW HAD A CHANCE TO READ, IT SEEMS THAT THIS HAS IN ANY CASE LONG BEEN ABANDONED. FCO SOURCES ARE QUOTED PRETTY EXTENSIVELY AND ACCURATELY.
THE JOURNALISTS WHO PASS THROUGH HERE NEVER STOP REMINDING ME OF
THIS WHEN I AM MYSELF LESS THAN TOTALLY FORTHCOMING. LAST WEEK A VISITING SCMP JOURNALIST TOLD ME THAT HE HAD BEEN TELEPHONED BY
HIS HEAD OFFICE AND TOLD THE CONTENTS OF A RESTRICTED PRESS BRIEFING GIVEN IN HONG KONG. HE HAD ALL THE FACTS AT HIS FINGER TIPS AND HAD
BEEN ASKED TO ROUND OFF THE STORY AT THIS END. NEEDLESS TO SAY THIS
WILL ALL BE KNOWN TO THE VIETNAMESE AND I FEAR THAT WE ARE OFFERING THEM A HOSTAGE TO FORTUNE.
3.
JOURNALISTS NOT INFREQUENTLY WANT TO TALK TO ME ABOUT BOAT PEOPLE, AND MY TALKS ARE CONTINUING BUT IT IS TOO EARLY TO ANNOUNCE A RESULT LINE IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY UNTENABLE.
11
GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD KEEP ME IN THE PICTURE.
PARTRIDGE
YYYY
!
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