TNAG-1908-FCO40-2712-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-voluntary-and-mandatory-repat-1989 — Page 205

CONFIDENTIAL

HKB 273 19

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELNO 2292

OF 101915Z NOVEMBER 89

INFO PRIORITY HANOI, UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON

373

171227 MDHOAN 7503

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C DIST ?

PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM PAUL, HKD

VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: MANDATORY REPATRIATION: MONITORING

1.

IT IS CLEAR THAT AN INTERNATIONALLY CREDIBLE MONITORING IS GOING TO BE AN INDISPENSIBLE ELEMENT OF ANY VIABLE MANDATORY REPATRIATION PROGRAMME. WE ARE THEREFORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE ABSENCE OF PROGRESS SO FAR IN THIS IMPORTANT AREA.

2.

WE AGREE WITH UKMIS GENEVA'S ASSESSMENT (UKMIS GENEVA TELNO 695) THAT WE SHOULD CERTAINLY NOT BANK ON UNHCR'S WILLINGNESS TO UNDERTAKE MONITORING OF NON-VOLUNTARY RETURNEES TO VIETNAM, ALTHOUGH IT IS CLEARLY RIGHT THAT WE SHOULD TRY TO PERSUADE THEM TO DO SO. AS YOU KNOW, OUR EFFORTS TO PERSUADE THE BRITISH REFUGEE COUNCIL TO TAKE ON THIS ROLE HAVE NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL. IT WOULD THEREFORE BE PRUDENT TO CONSIDER URGENTLY ALL POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVES.

IN

3. I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR ADVICE ON OTHER OPTIONS. PARTICULAR I WONDER WHETHER THERE IS ANY CHANCE OF OXFAM HONG KONG AGREEING TO TAKE THIS ON. I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS POSSIBILITY HAS ALREADY BEEN DISCUSSED INFORMALLY WITH CHRIS BALE: IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL IF MIKE HANSON COULD SPEAK AGAIN TO HIM AND LET US KNOW BALE'S REACTION.

3. I SHALL NEED TO BRIEF MINISTERS IN DETAIL EARLY NEXT WEEK ABOUT THE PROSPECTS FOR MONITORING AND IT WOULD THEREFORE BE HELPFUL TO HAVE YOUR ADVICE, INCLUDING IN PARTICULAR AN ASSESSMENT OF THE VIABILITY OF THE OXFAM HONG KONG OPTION, DESKBY 1409OOZ.

HURD

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