TNAG-1908-FCO40-2712-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-voluntary-and-mandatory-repat-1989 — Page 20

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2+3 12.

052136

MDHIAN 6843

SECRET

FM HANOI

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 649

OF 30050OZ NOVEMBER 89

TOP CUPY

DIST ?

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON

CHONG KONG PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR)

YOUR TELNO 400 VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: PRESS REPORTS

1. YOU WILL HAVE SEEN FROM MY TELNO 641 THAT VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS HAD REVEALED A GOOD DEAL OF DETAIL TO ROGER MATTHEWS OF THE FT. FOR THE RECORD I DID NOT: WE DISCUSSED THE ECONOMY.

2. I SPOKE ON THE MORNING OF 28 NOVEMBER WITH CHAPON, THE LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE OF AFP (AFTER I HAD SEEN MATTHEWS). CHAPON HAD ALREADY IN HIS POSSESSION MOST INFORMATION ABOUT THE STATE OF PLAY WHICH HE HAD CLEARLY GLEANED FROM AFP SOURCES OUTSIDE VIETNAM AND THE VIETNAMESE. CURIOUSLY HE DID NOT HAVE THE FIGURE OF 620 DOLLARS WHICH HAD BEEN BROADCAST OVER THE BBC AND I DID NOT DISABUSE HIM OF HIS IMPRESSION THAT THE COST WAS MORE MODEST.

3. I PUT HIM STRAIGHT ON THE SORT OF PEOPLE THAT MIGHT BE COMING BACK AS PART OF THIS EXERCISE: HE WAS CLEARLY NOT AWARE THAT WE WERE TALKING ONLY ABOUT PEOPLE WHO HAD GONE THROUGH THE WHOLE OF THE SCREENING PROCESS, INCLUDING APPEALS.

4. ON TIMING HE WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT THE FIRST FLIGHT WAS IMMINENT (POSSIBLY EVEN THE FLIGHT ON 30 NOVEMBER). I DENIED THIS BUT SAID THAT I HOPED THAT THE FIRST FLIGHT OF GREY ZONE PEOPLE WOULD OCCUR SOON, PREFERABLY BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR. I REFERRED TO THE PRIME MINISTER'S STATEMENT IN THE HOUSE ON 26 OCTOBER (''NEED FOR SPEEDY ACTION'' AND ''MATTER OF PRIOIRTY ETC).

5. AS FOR NUMBERS, CHAPON SAID THAT HE THOUGHT SEVERAL HUNDRED WOULD BE ARRIVING ON THE FIRST FLIGHT, AND PRESSED VERY HARD FOR DETAILS. I SAID THAT I DID NOT KNOW BUT ASSUMED THAT THE FIRST FLIGHT WOULD BE OF LESS THAN 100 PEOPLE.

6. I QUITE UNDERSTAND THE SENSITIVITY IN HONG KONG. THERE IS A SENSITIVITY ALSO AT THIS END AND A NEED TO KEEP THE VIETNAMESE ON

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