TNAG-1908-FCO40-2712-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-voluntary-and-mandatory-repat-1989 — Page 26

DSR 11 Revised Sept 85)

CONFIDENTIAL

DRAFT: minute/letter/teleletter/despatch/note

FROM:

SECRETARY OF STATE

DEPARTMENT:

BUILDING:

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION

TO:

PRIME MINISTER

Top Secret

Secret

Confidential

Restricted

Unclassified

PRIVACY MARKING

CAVEAT

SUBJECT:

VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE

TYPE: Draft/Final 1 +

Reference

DOTAAF

TEL. NO:

Your Reference

ROOM NO:

Copies to:

In Confidence

1. We had a brief discussion on 30 November about the

problem of Vietnamese boat people in Hong Kong. This

minute describes our plans for the first repatriation

operation and sets out my thoughts about the way forward.

Enclosures flag(s)

2.

Preparations for the first repatriation operation are

now at an advanced stage. The Hong Kong Government have

drawn up a detailed operational plan. The flight

carrying the 56 returnees (a Cathay Pacific Tristar) is

scheduled to depart from Hong Kong at 0500 hours local

time on 12 December (9 pm our time on 11 December).

flight will last 2 hours. Take off from Hanoi on the

return flight will be at 1 am our time.

The

3. The plan is that about 100 counsellors, interpreters

and welfare officers of the Correctional Services

Department (CSD) will be on hand to persuade the boat

people to acquiesce in the operation.

Two platoons of