TNAG-1907-FCO40-2711-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-voluntary-and-mandatory-repat-1989 — Page 205

Mrshne

U Lapy to Mr Terry Goelson, South East Asca

Dept., F'Co

FA

1

Ry 149/ Mr Hay well

1319

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2519

2

HN020830

LWAN008

0.HN20830 1612 6.9.89 CLA FIRST

TO.

PF CANBERRA/7874

RF.

PP BANGKOK/7301 BRUNEI/824 GENEVA/670

930/3/3

270

INWARD

INFO : MIN 6.45 07/09/89

passed to me by Austration High mmissh: phase.

pwrect:

PP HONG KONG/1388 JAKARTA/1513 KUALA LUMPUR/1755 PP LONDON/1272 MANILA/1507 OTTAWA/309 PP SINGAPORE/1723 TOKYO/1223 UN NEW YORK/1002 PP VIENTIANE/1962 WASHINGTON/1750

FM. HANOI / FA

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HKB

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14. Miss Marsden

MKD

2) Mr Comin

Mr Carter Mist Mir Hagror

VIETNAM: ILLEGAL DEPARTURES AND VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION

FROM FILE 801/15/3

801/15/4

FOR DFAT AND POLSEC DILGEA

START OF SUMMARY

X is encouraging;

buk

the withdrawal of police Maison, como be firmalen since visual Servigilance is itself a defierent,

INFORMATION FROM SO SON (HAIPHONG) INDICATES A SHARP DECLINE IN

XBOAT DEPARTURES. THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR IS INFORMATION BEING

good

CIRCULATED ABOUT THE HARSH CONDITIONS IN HONG KONG THROUGH THE LOCAL HAIPHONG MEDIA, LETTERS FROM HONG KONG, FOREIGN RADIO BROADCASTS AND WORD-OF-MOUTH BY VOLUNTEER REPATRIATES. THE VIETNAMESE HAVE RESPONDED FAVOURABLY TO THE UNHCR REQUEST TO SPEED UP PROCESSING OF THE 600 PENDING VOLUNTEER RETURN CASES FROM HONG KONG.

END OF SUMMARY

ILLEGAL DEPARTURES

DURING THE AMBASSADOR'S VISIT TO DO SON (HAIPHONG) ON 2 AND 3 SEPTEMBER, WE LEARNT THAT THE TWO BORDER POLICE VESSELS WHICH HAVE BEEN STATIONED THERE SINCE JUNE HAD BEEN WITHDRAWN FIVE DAYS PREVIOUSLY TO THEIR HAIPHONG BASE.

2. ACCORDING TO OUR NORMAL VIETNAMESE SOURCE THE VESSELS WERE WITHDRAWN BECAUSE THERE WERE NO LONGER ANY BOATS LEAVING THE AREA. THE REASONS GIVEN INCLUDED UNFABOURABLE WEATHER CONDITIONS (I.E. THE TYPHOON SEASON), THE HIGH NUMBER OF BOAT DETENTIONS, AND MORE

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