TNAG-1907-FCO40-2711-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-voluntary-and-mandatory-repat-1989 — Page 136

CONFIDENTIAL

FM F CO

TO IMMEDIATE HANOI

TELNO 344

OF 13180OZ OCTOBER 89

CONFIDENTIAL

нев 24.3 Іа

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, UKMIS GENEVA ·

303,

(30

305

55114

MDHOAN 5466

TOP

Q DIST

OUR TELNO 328: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: MONITORING

1.

IN RESPONSE TO MR MAUDE'S REQUEST THAT NGOS MONITOR RETURNED BOAT PEOPLE (OUR TUR), ALF DUBS, DIRECTOR OF THE BRITISH REFUGEE COUNCIL (BRC) HAS TOLD US THAT A NUMBER OF MEMBER AGENCIES WITH AN INTEREST IN SOUTH EAST ASIA ARE WILLING FOR BRC TO HAVE A MONITORING ROLE SUBJECT TO CERTAIN CONDITIONS. OXFAM THOUGHT THAT ADDITIONAL INVOLVEMENT OF SOME EUROPEAN REFUGEE AGENCIES WOULD BE HELPFUL IN DEMONSTRATING THEIR INDEPENDENCE. (SWISS, DUTCH AND DANISH AGENCIES SOUNDED OUT IN CONFIDENCE ARE APPARENTLY WILLING TO CONSIDER PARTICIPATING). DUBS WAS THINKING OF ARRANGING AD HOC MEETINGS OF A STEERING COMMITTEE BASED IN LONDON, DRAWN FROM THE ABOVE, TO OVERSEE THE MONITORING ACTIVITY WHILE STAFF SECONDED TO VIETNAM WOULD CONDUCT THE ACTUAL

MONITORING.

2. DUBS SAID THAT THE LOGISTICS OF SUCH AN EXERCISE WERE DAUNTING, GRANTED CONDITIONS IN VIETNAM AND NOT KNOWING THE SCALE OF THE OPERATION. HE ASSUMED THAT NGO INVOLVEMENT WOULD BE TRANSITIONAL UNTIL UNHCR COULD TAKE OVER THE ROLE. IN THE MEANTIME, HE BELIEVED THAT UNHCR PERSONNEL IN HANOI MIGHT BE WILLING TO BE HELPFUL ON AN ENTIRELY INFORMAL BASIS UNTIL POLICY

IN GENEVA CHANGED.

3. A MEETING OF THE ASIA COMMITTEE OF THE BRC IS TO BE HELD ON 23 OCTOBER. DUBS WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE THEM WITH AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE FOR A PILOT SCHEME. THIS WOULD INVOLVE A TEAM OF PERHAPS TWO PEOPLE TO MONITOR A DRIVER, INTERPRETER, AND SOMEONE TO TYPE. THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN YOUR TELNO 524 WAS HELPFUL. HOWEVER, DUBS WAS VERY DUBIOUS ABOUT FLYING VISITS. HE THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE A MAKESHIFT EXPEDIENT AND NOT COMMEND ITSELF TO HIS COMMITTEE. WE ARE INCLINED TO AGREE. GRATEFUL THEREFORE IF

307

:–

YOU COULD PROVIDE ESTIMATES OF THE LIKELY COST OF RENTING AN OFFICE, TELEPHONE AND FAX, ACCOMMODATION, INTERPRETER ETC. QUOTE DOLLARS 300 FOR A DRIVER, PRESUMABLY FOR A TWO WEEK PERIOD? WOULD BE PARTICULARLY USEFUL TO KNOW HOW MUCH THE UNHCR MONITORING OPERATION OF THE VOLUNTARY PROGRAMME COSTS. BAZOCHE WOULD

YOU

IT

1

PAGE

CONFIDENTIAL