MOPABE
dr Paul, HID
Mr
&
Rry 30/8
18 AUG 1989
CONFIDENTIAL
FROM
:
: A R Paul
Sartan State
18 AUG 1989
Bloys
Hong Kong Department
1 201
1200
1) PS/M. Marde Ith.
Private Secretary
DATE
18 August 1989
cc: PS/Mr Maude
Mr Gillmore
Mr Thomas, SEAD
Mr Grant, News Dept
Mr Fraser
HKB
24319
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE : REPATRIATION
A,B 1.
Please refer to your minutes of 7 and 11 August, recording some questions which the Secretary of State had on Vietnamese boat
people.
2. The Secretary of State asked whether we had yet reached the
position when "a reasonable period of time" had elapsed and it was
clear that voluntary repatriation was not working.
3. The Geneva Conference established a Steering Committee with the
role of reviewing the implementation of the Comprehensive Plan of
Action. It has already met twice (first on the day after the
Conference ended; and then in Bangkok on 24 July. It will meet
again on 16/17 October in Geneva to carry out a full review of progress, including voluntary repatriation.
4. The last meeting of the Steering Committee agreed that the
October meeting could consider "the phased and orderly return of non
refugees to Vietnam" with UNHCR providing the channel for
reintegration assistance and monitoring in Vietnam. This will in
effect be the examination of the alternatives to the voluntary
programme as stipulated in paragraph 14 of the Comprehensive Plan of
Action.
CONFIDENTIAL
215
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