TNAG-1906-FCO40-2710-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-voluntary-and-mandatory-repat-1989 — Page 71

CONFIDENTIAL

HKE

2+3/4

ZZO

047064

MDHIAN 2941

CONFIDENTIAL

FM UKMIS GENEVA

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 524

OF 221502Z AUGUST 1989

INFO IMMEDIATE WASHINGTON, HONG KONG, HANOI

TC

HONG KONG TELNOS 2798 AND 2799: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: REPATRIATION

1.

,

ACCORDING TO VIEIRA DE MELLO (UNHCR). A FURTHER 700 VBPS HAVE NOW VOLUNTEERED TO RETURN TO VIETNAM. ALL THESE CASES HAVE BEEN COUNSELLED BY UNHCR AND THE FORMS SENT TO UNHCR IN HANOI (OR WILL BE SENT THIS WEEK) FOR PASSING ON TO THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES.

2. VIEIRA DE MELLO HOPES TO SEE CO THACH IN PARIS LATER THIS WEEK, IN THE MARGINS OF THE CAMBODIA CONFERENCE, TO REITERATE UNHCR'S REQUEST TO VIETNAM TO SIMPLIFY THE PROCESSING OF VOLUNTARY RETURNS, INCLUDING MORE EXPEDITIOUS HANDLING OF THE FILES. HE ALSO HOPES TO PERSUADE THE VIETNAMESE TO SIMPLIFY PROCESSES IN HONG KONG DURING THE PERIODIC VISITS BY VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS IN ADVANCE OF VOLUNTARY REPATRIATIONS. WHILE HE RECOGNISES THE SENSITIVITY OF VISITS OF VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS TO HONG KONG, HE HOPES HONG KONG COULD BE MORE FLEXIBLE BY ALLOWING AN ALMOST PERMANENT PRESENCE OF VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS TO PROCESS THE INCREASING NUMBER OF VOLUNTARY RETURNEES. HE SAW NO REASON WHY THESE OFFICIALS COULD NOT BE ROTATED ON A REGULAR BASIS, IF THAT WOULD EASE HONG KONG'S PROBLEMS.

COMMENT

3. IF SOME 700 VOLUNTEERS ARE NOW IN THE PIPELINE, IT IS IN OUR INTERESTS TO EXPEDITE THEIR REPATRIATION TO VIETNAM. THIS WOULD GIVE CONSIDERABLE IMPETUS TO THE CPA'S VOLUNTARY RETURN PROGRAMME (SOME 1,000) WOULD HAVE RETURNED TO VIETNAM BY STEERING COMMITTEE 3 IN MID-OCTOBER AND TAKE SOME OF THE STING OUT OF THE PRESSURE ON HKG FOR ALTERNATIVE ACTION.

4. GRATEFUL IF WASHINGTON COULD PASS A COPY OF THIS TELEGRAM TO

HASWELL.

SANKEY

YYYY

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