TNAG-1907-FCO40-2711-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-voluntary-and-mandatory-repat-1989 — Page 123

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055637

MDHIAN 9890

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FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 3436

OF 140545Z OCTOBER 89

INFO IMMEDIATE HANOI, WASHINGTON

WASHINGTON PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR HONG KONG

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OUR TELNO 3422: YOUR TELNO 2080: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: REPATRIATION

1. IN PARAGRAS 5, 6 AND 7 OF FIRST TUR WE EXPLAINED THAT IN OUR JUDGEMENT IT WILL NOT BE POSSIBLE TO MOVE A FURTHER 40 VBP FROM CHI MA WAN TO PHOENIX HOUSE WITHOUT PROVOKING A POTENTIALLY

SERIOUS DISTRUBANCE. WE ARE PREPARED TO USE MINIMUM FORCE TO REMOVE THE 40 AND WE ARE PREPARED TO DEAL WITH A DISTURBANCE. BUT WE SERIOUSLY DOUBT WHETHER THIS IS THE RIGHT TIME TO ATTEMPT SUCH A DIFFICULT OPERATION.

2. OUR PRIMARY OBJECTIVE WITH THIS FIRST GROUP IS TO ESTABLISH THE

PRINCIPLE OF MANDATORY REPATRATION. THE NUMBERS INVOLVED ARE NOT THEREFORE OUR MAIN CONCERN. WE AGREE THAT 40-50 WOULD BE A MORE CONVINCING DEMONSTRATION OF OUR DETERMINATION TO IMPLEMENT THE CPA IN FULL BUT THIS COULD ONLY BE ACHIEVED BY TAKING A SERIOUS RISK WITH THE FIRST REPATRIATION OPERATION. IF WE WERE TO REMOVE THE 40 FROM VBP IN TIME FOR THE FIRST EXERCISE WE WOULD HAVE TO DO SO ON 16 OCTOBER SO AS TO BE IN A POSITION TO GIVE THE VIETNAMESE THE FINAL PASSENGER LIST 14 DAYS BEFORE DEPARTURE. A MAJOR DISTURBANCE

AT CHI MA WAN WOULD RECEIVE WIDE PUBLICITY AND WOULD MAKE OUR TASK

AT SC3 ALL THE MORE DIFFICULT. IT WOULD ALSO PUT THE VIETNAMESE IN A DIFFICULT POSITION GIVEN THEIR OFT STATED POSITION ON THE USE OF FORCE.

3. WE HAVE DISCUSSED THESE OPTIONS WITH THE GOVERNOR BEFORE HIS DEPARTURE FOR THE US. OUR CONCLUSION IS THAT THE BALANCE OF ADVANTAGE LIES IN PRESSING AHEAD WITH THE RETURN OF THE PHOENIX

HOUSE GROUP OF 14 ON 31 OCTOBER. IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT WE MAKE A START WITH THE REPATRIATION PROGRAMME IF WE ARE TO MANAGE THE

POLITICAL PRESSURES HERE DURING THE AUTUMN. ALTHOUGH 14 IS FAR FEWER THAN WE WOULD HAVE LIKED, WE BELIEVE THAT THEIR RETURN WOULD ESTABLISH THE PRINCIPLE. WE COULD THEN MOVE ON TO DEAL WITH MUCH

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