TNAG-1907-FCO40-2711-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-voluntary-and-mandatory-repat-1989 — Page 156

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TO DESKBY 1108OOZ FCO

TELNO 534

OF 11033OZ OCTOBER 89

INFO DESKBY 11060OZ HONG KONG

CHONG KONG PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR)

336:

YOUR TELNO 336: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: REPATRIATION

1 I STRONGLY RECOMMEND DELAYING THE PROPOSED FIRST RETURN

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UNTIL THE SECOND WEEK OF NOVEMBER. THE NEXT RETURNS OF VOLUNTARY REPATRIATES HAVE BEEN SCHEDULED FOR THIS WEEK-END AND THE END OF OCTOBER. THE DELAY BETWEEN THESE TWO FLIGHTS WAS DICTATED BY PRACTICAL CONSTRAINTS AT THIS END. I HAVE BEEN ATTEMPTING TO TEST VIETNAMESE VIEWS. THEY ARE VERY ELUSIVE ON THE SUBJECT, BUT I AM BEING FORCED TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THEY NEED 10-14 DAYS BETWEEN EACH FLIGHT GIVEN THEIR PRESENT ADMINISTRATIVE ARRANGEMENTS. I WAS ABOUT TO SUGGEST TO YOU THAT WE TEST THE SYSTEM BY PROPOSING SEVERAL FLIGHTS IN NOVEMBER OR DECEMBER, BUT WOULD NOT WISH TO INVOLVE THE FIRST MANDATORY RETURNS

IN THIS WAY: THERE ARE SUFFICIENT RISKS INVOLVED IN THAT EXERCISE ALREADY. THE ALTERNATIVE WOULD BE TO DELAY THE VOLUNTARY RETURNEES FLIGHT. I WOULD NOT FAVOUR THIS AS IT WOULD DISRUPT THE DEVELOPING FLOW OF VOLUNTEER RETURNEES AND CAUSE IRRITATION TO

THE VIETNAMESE AND PROBABLY UNHCR.

2. I THINK IN ANY CASE THAT IT WOULD BE PRUDENT TO ASSUME THAT

THE VIETNAMESE WILL IN PRACTICE REQUIRE MORE THAN THE BARE MINIMUM NOTICE OF THE FIRST FLIGHT STIPULATED IN THE JUNE AGREEMENT. WE HAVE AFTER ALL GONE COLD ON THE SUBJECT FOR SOME CONSIDERABLE TIME AND THEY WILL PROBABLY WISH TO CONSIDER THE IMPLICATIONS OF ANY SUDDEN RENEWAL OF ENTHUSIASM ON OUR PART. AS SEEN FROM HERE, THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE SC3 WOULD CONSTITUE A PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE AND LOGICAL POINT PROM WHICH TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP. AN APPROACH TO THE VIETNAMESE IN THE SECOND HALF OF NEXT WEEK TO SIGN THE AGREED MINUTE WOULD SEEM TO ME TO BE RIGHT. THIS COULD BE FOLLOWED IN THE WEEK BEGINNING 23 OCTOBER WITH A FIRM PROPOSAL FOR A FIRST FLIGHT IN NOVEMBER.

3. GRATEFUL FOR URGENT RESPONSE. AS YOU KNOW I PLAN TO BE IN BANGKOK 14-18 OCTOBER. THE ONLY ACCEPTABLE RETURN FLIGHTS ARE 15 AND 18 OCTOBER.