TNAG-1908-FCO40-2712-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-voluntary-and-mandatory-repat-1989 — Page 151

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031021 MDHIAN 5833

SECRET

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 3875

OF 231245Z NOVEMBER 89

CORRECTED TELNO

HKB 243 19

INFO IMMEDIATE HANOI, UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON

394

1396

HANOI TELNO 627 AND OUR TELNO 863:

VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: REPATRIATION

1. CATHAY PACIFIC ARE ABLE TO MAKE AN AIRCRAFT AVAILABLE ON 14

DECEMBER AND WE AGREE THAT THERE IS A GREAT DEAL TO BE SAID FOR

SIMPLY GOING FIRM ON THE VIETNAMESE PROPOSAL. ALTHOUGH WE HAVE A PREFERENCE FOR AN EARLIER DATE, WE WOULD HAVE BEEN CONTENT TO GO ALONG WITH THE PROPOSAL FOR 14 DECEMBER IN THE INTERESTS OF TYING

DOWN THE VIETNAMESE. SEEN FROM HERE, HOWEVER, THE POSITION HAS

CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE LIGHT OF THE INFORMATION IN SECOND TUR.

2. WE MUST NOW WORK ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT THERE WILL BE FURTHER

LEAKS VIA UNHCR AND THAT THERE WILL BE CONSIDERABLE PRESS PRESSURE DURING THE WEEK BEGINNING 10 DECEMBER. THIS PRESSURE WILL MAKE IT VERY DIFFICULT TO MOUNT A SUCCESSFUL OPERATION. WE THEREFORE RECOMMEND THAT HANOI BE ASKED TO GO BACK TO THE VIETNAMSE EXPLAINING OUR ANXIETIES OVER LEAKS AND ARGUING THAT WE SHOULD NOW TRY TO PRE-EMPT THESE DIFFICULTIES BY CARRYING OUT THE OPERATION ON 5 OR

6 DECEMBER AS ORIGINALLY PROPOSED.

3. IF THE VIETNAMESE ARE UNABLE TO AGREE TO 5 OR 6 DECEMBER WE AGREE THAT WE SHOULD ACCEPT THEIR PROPOSAL OF 14 DECEMBER, BUT IN DOING SO WE SHOULD EMPHASISE OUR STRONG CONCERNS ABOUT CONFIDENTIALITY. THE VIETNAMESE MAY WELL TAKE THE VIEW THAT UNHCR HAVE A LEGITIMATE INTEREST IN THE REPATRIATION EXERCISE, AND IN VIEW OF OUR EFFORTS TO INVOLVE UNHCR IN MONITORING WE SHALL NEED TO BE CAUTIOUS IN OUR RESPONSE. SEEN FROM HERE, THE POINT TO MAKE IS NOT/NOT THAT UNHCR MUST BE EXCLUDED ON THE GROUNDS THAT NON-VOLUNTEERS ARE OUTSIDE THEIR MANDATE BUT THAT BRIEFING UNHCR IS VERY LIKELY TO LEAD TO THE INFORMATION REACHING THE PRESS. THIS WOULD NOT ONLY JEOPARDISE THE OPERATION BUT WOULD RESULT IN PRESISELY THE HIGH DEGREE OF PUBLICITY WHICH THE VIETNAMESE WISH TO AVOID. IN THE INTERESTS OF CONFIDENTIALITY THE VIETNAMESE SHOULD BE PRESSED TO REFRAIN FROM BRIEFING UNHCR, OR ANY OTHER THIRD PARTIES, IN ADVANCE OF THE RETURN OF THE FIRST GROUP.

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