TNAG-1907-FCO40-2711-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-voluntary-and-mandatory-repat-1989 — Page 217

RESTRICTED

FM UKMIS GENEVA

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 570

RESTRICTED

26 +

136220

MDHIAN 5641

MKB

243 19

TOP COPY Q DISNOP

OF 14145OZ SEPTEMBER 1989

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, WASHINGTON, OTTAWA, CANBERRA, HANOD

(260

258

YOUR TELNO 238 AND HONG KONG TELNO 3003: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION

1. WE HAVE SPOKEN TO VIEIRA DE MELLO (UNHCR), DRAWING ON THE BACKGROUND IN SECOND TUR AND ENCOURAGING UNHCR HQ TO INSTRUCT THEIR OFFICE IN HONG KONG TO PLAY A MORE ACTIVE ROLE, SUPPORTED BY REPRESENTATIVES OF RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES, ON COUNSELLING VBPS ON VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION.

2. VIEIRA DE MELLO SAID THAT HE HAD INSTRUCTED VAN LEEUVEN IN HONG KONG ON 13 SEPTEMBER TO WORK CLOSELY WITH THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE THREE RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES. WHATEVER THE SENSITIVITIES, UNHCR HAD UNDERTAKEN THIS RESPONSIBILITY UNDER THE CPA AND MUST BE SEEN TO BE DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO MAXIMISE THE NUMBERS VOLUNTEERING TO RETURN TO VIETNAM.

3. VIEIRA DE MELLO WAS NOT AWARE THAT THE AMERICANS, HAVING GIVEN APPROVAL FOR THE BRIEFING IN THE CAMPS, HAD THEN POSTPONED THE VISIT ON THE BASIS THAT UNHCR SHOULD TAKE THE LEAD. IN HIS VIEW, IT WAS IMMATERIAL FROM WHERE THE INITIATIVE CAME. HE FULLY SUPPORTED THE HKG POSITION AND UNHCR'S CLOSE INVOLVEMENT IN THE BRIEFING

EXERCISE.

HEWITT

YYYY

DISTRIBUTION

118

MAIN

111

.VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HK

LIMITED

RMD

PS

HKD

PS/MR MAUDE

PAGE

1

RESTRICTED