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BOARD. I DO NOT WISH TO SAY OR FAIL TO SAY ANYTHING AT THIS END WHICH WILL LEAVE THE VIETNAMESE UNDER ANY IMPRESSION THAT WE ARE PROPOSING, YET AGAIN, TO DELAY THE EXERCISE. I BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE THOSE ON THE VIETNAMESE SIDE WHO WOULD BE VERY HAPPY TO DELAY IT TILL THE GREEK KALENDS.
7 AFTER DRAFTING THE ABOVE, I WAS ASKED TO CALL ON LE THO.
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HE EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT IN THE AFP INTERVIEW, I WAS APPARENTLY QUOTED AS REFERRING TO ''FORCED REPATRIATION. I ASSURED HIM THAT I HAD EXPLAINED TO CHAPON IN DETAIL THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT ''GREY ZONE RETURNEES. THO WENT TO GREAT LENGTHS TO REITERATE THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT'S VIEW ON FORCED REPATRIATION. I ASSURED HIM THAT THE UK SIDE INTENDED TO ABIDE BY THE AGREEMENT OF 26 JUNE. HE THEN SAID THAT ACCORDING TO THE LATEST NEWS REPORT YOU HAD SPOKEN IN THE HOUSE IN TERMS OF ''FORCED REPATRIATION. RELYING ON THE FACT THAT BUSINESS WITH THO IS CONDUCTED IN FRENCH, I SAID THAT I WAS UNSIGHTED BUT THAT THE WORD 'FORC'E'' MIGHT BE A MISTRANSLATION. (I ASSUME THE TEXT IS ON ITS WAY TO ME).
T
8. THO WENT ON TO QUOTE A BRITISH OFFICIAL AS REFERRING TO THE USE OF SHIPS TO RETURN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. INTERESTINGLY HE OBJECTED TO THE PUBLIC AIRING OF THE POSSIBILITY RATHER THAN THE CONCEPT. I THEREFORE SAID THAT OBVIOUSLY WE HAD BEEN GIVING THOUGHT TO WAYS OF SPEEDING UP RETURNS, AND SHIPS WERE AN OBVIOUS ALTERNATIVE. THO SAID THAT MATTERS OF THIS SORT COULD AND SHOULD BE DISCUSSED BILATERALLY AND CONFIDENTIALLY.
9. FINALLY THO RAISED THE QUESTION OF THE MOVE OF 48 PERSONS TO PHOENIX HOUSE. HE HAD IN HIS HAND THE UNHCR PRESS RELEASE (OF 31 OCTOBER ?). HE REITERATED THE POINT ABOUT FORCED REPATRIATION AND DEPLORED THE USE OF ARMS. I SAID THAT THE MOVE HAD NOT NECESSARILY BEEN IN DIRECT CONNECTION WITH THE FIRST FLIGHT OF NON-VOLUNTEERS. THAT I DID NOT KNOW IF THE POLICE/CSD HAD BEEN ARMED (AS HE THOUGHT) AND THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY IT WAS IN ANY CASE THE HONG KONG
VERNMENT AND NOT THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS THEMSELVES WHO WOULD JECIDE ON WHERE THEY WOULD RESIDE WHILE IN HONG KONG.
INFORMATION WHICH HAD BEEN
10. I REMONSTRATED WITH THO ABOUT THE VOLUNTEERED TO MATTHEWS OF THE FT. HE TOOK NOTE.
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11 I PRESSED THO HARD TO COME UP WITH A POSITIVE DECISION URGENTLY ON THE PROPOSED DATE OF 12 DECEMBER. HE TRIED TO SUGGEST THAT THIS MIGHT BEST BE RESOLVED BETWEEN UNHCR AND OURSELVES. I MADE IT CLEAR THAT IT WAS FOR THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT TO DEAL WITH OUR SPECIFIC
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