TNAG-1907-FCO40-2711-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-voluntary-and-mandatory-repat-1989 — Page 121

SECRET

TO DESKBY 17010OZ HONG KONG

SECRET

FM FCO

TELNO 2093

AND TO IMMEDIATE

OF 16174OZ OCTOBER 89

HANOI

HKB

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INFO IMMEDIATE WASHINGTON, UKMIS GENEVA, KUALA LUMPUR

317

060661

MDHOAN 5581

(FOR SECRETARY OF STATE'S PARTY)

WASHINGTON:CPERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG

UKMIS GENEVA: PLEASE PASS URGENTLY TO MCLAREN

YOUR TELNO 3436: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: REPATRIATION

1.

MINISTERS HAVE BEEN VERY DISTURBED TO LEARN OF THE DEVELOPMENTS DESCRIBED IN YOUR TELNOS 3422 AND 3436. AS WE ANTICIPATED IN OUR TELNO 2082, THEY CONSIDER THAT A REPATRIATION EXERCISE FOR FOURTEEN INDIVIDUALS WOULD NOT BE WORTH THE CANDLE. THEY BELIEVE THAT RATHER THAN ESTABLISHING THE PRINCIPLE OF MANDATORY REPATRIATION, IT WOULD BE SEEN AS LITTLE MORE THAN A GESTURE AND WOULD SEND THE CLEAR MESSAGE THAT WE HAD BEEN UNABLE TO MUSTER MORE THAN A HANDFUL OF RETURNEES. IT WOULD NOT FORM AN ADEQUATE BASIS FOR A ROLLING PROGRAMME OF MANDATORY RETURNS. THEY DOUBT WHETHER IT WOULD IN FACT BE THE CASE THAT THERE WOULD PROVE TO BE A LESS SENSITIVE TIME AT WHICH WE COULD MOVE ON TO DEAL WITH LARGER GROUPS.

2.

MINISTERS APPRECIATE THE DIFFICULTIES INVOLVED. BUT THEY SEE NO ALTERNATIVE TO MOVING MORE BOAT PEOPLE FROM CHI MA WAN TO PHOENIX HOUSE IN ORDER TO MAKE UP THE NUMBERS. WE HOPE THAT IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE TO PRESENT THIS IN A PLAUSIBLE WAY, FOR EXAMPLE ON THE GROUNDS THAT OVERCROWDING AT CHI MA WAN HAS MADE IT NECESSARY TO MOVE PEOPLE TO ANOTHER CENTRE. WE APPRECIATE THE RISK OF DISTURBANCES, BUT WE HAVE AFTER ALL ACCEPTED THAT IT MAY BE NECESSARY TO DEAL WITH DISTURBANCES FOLLOWING THE REPATRIATION EXERCISE ITSELF.

3. WE SHOULD THEREFORE BE GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD ARRANGE FOR 50 (FIFTY) MORE BOAT PEOPLE TO BE MOVED FROM PHOENIX HOUSE TO CHI MA WAN ON 17 OCTOBER AND FOR DETAILS TO BE TELEGRAPHED TO HANOI FOR ONWARD TRANSMISSION TO THE VIETNAMESE. MINISTERS WOULD APPRECIATE AN IMMEDIATE REPORT ON THIS OPERATION, DESKBY

1712OUZ.

4. FOR HANOI: ON RECEIPT OF THE DETAILS, PLEASE PASS THEM IMMEDIATELY TO THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT AND EXPLAIN THAT WE WOULD LIKE THE REPATRIATION TO PROCEED ON 31 OCTOBER.

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