CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO DESKBY 030100Z HONG KONG
TELNO 1983
OF 02183OZ OCTOBER 89
279
CONFIDENTIAL
013257
MDHOAN 4671
HKB
243 la
PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM PAUL. HKD
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE:
1.
MANDATORY REPATRIATION
AS YOU KNOW, MINISTERS ARE TO CONSIDER THIS SUBJECT AT A MEETING ON 4 OCTOBER. THE SECRETARY OF STATE HAS APPROVED TODAY A PAPER FOR THAT MEETING, WHICH CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING CONCLUSIONS:
(A) THAT WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO MAKE PREPARATIONS FOR A FIRST GROUP OF NON-VOLUNTARY RETURNEES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AFTER THE
THIRD MEETING OF THE ICIR STEERING COMMITTEE ON 16/17 OCTOBER:
AND THAT A FINAL DECISION TO PROCEED WOULD BE LOOKED AT IN THE
LIGHT OF THE OUTCOME OF THAT MEETING.
(B) THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE WOULD PURSUE WITH THE CHIEF
SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY THE QUESTION OF FUNDING. THIS WOULD INCLUDE THE PROVISION OF A FURTHER SUM OF UP TO FIVE MILLION
POUNDS FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE LINKED TO THE REPATRIATION
PROGRAMME: AND A SIGNIFICANT NEW CONTRIBUTION TO ASSIST THE HONG
KONG GOVERNMENT IN COPING WITH ACCOMMODATION FOR THE BOAT PEOPLE ALREADY IN HONG KONG OR LIKELY TO ARRIVE IN THE FUTURE. (THE
PAPER MENTIONS THE FIGURE OF 5.6 MILLION POUNDS FOR IMPROVEMENTS
TO EXISTING ACCOMMODATION: THE SECRETARY OF STATE WILL FLAG UP
ORALLY THE POSSIBLE 24 MILLION POUNDS BILL FOR NEW
ACCOMMODATION.)
2. WE HAD ORIGINALLY RECOMMENDED MORE DEFINITE CONCLUSIONS ON MANDATORY REPATRIATION, NAMELY THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE SHOULD HAVE CONTINGENT AUTHORITY TO PROCEED ON A SPECIFIC DATE (25 OCTOBER) BUT THESE CONCLUSIONS WERE SLIGHTLY WATERED DOWN. THE
SECRETARY OF STATE REMAINS UNEASY ABOUT A NUMBER OF ASPECTS OF MANDATORY REPATRIATION (AS OF COURSE WE ALL DO) ALTHOUGH HE
ENTIRELY ACCEPTS THE POLITICAL IMPERATIVE IN HONG KONG TERMS OF
MAKING EARLY PROGRESS. IN PARTICULAR HE BELIEVES THAT SOME OF
HIS MINISTERIAL COLLEAGUES MAY TAKE SOME CONVINCING THAT WE HAVE
YET FULLY EXHAUSTED THE POSSIBILITIES OF VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION AND THAT A PREMATURE MOVE NOW COULD BACKFIRE, EG BY PROVOKING A STRONG INTERNATIONAL REACTION THAT WOULD MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR US TO CONTINUE WITH A ROLLING PROGRAMME OF MANDATORY RETURNS, AND
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