TNAG-1908-FCO40-2712-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-voluntary-and-mandatory-repat-1989 — Page 34

Mr McLaren

SECRET

From:

C C D Haswell

Hong Kong Department

738

Date:

1 December 1989

4KB

243 19

CC:

PS/PUS

Mr Gillmore

Mr Colvin, SEAD

Mr Paul, HKD

Mr Brenton, UND

Mr Burns, News Dept

VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: REPATRIATION

A 1. Hong Kong telno 3948 provided us with the detailed arrangements

which the Hong Kong Government consider would be necessary to ensure the successful repatriation to Vietnam of the first group of non-volunteer non-refugees.

B 2. In Hanoi telno 652, HMA Hanoi assesses that the operation

envisaged by Hong Kong is likely to be construed by the Vietnamese

as going beyond the terms of our agreement with them for the

repatriation of non-volunteers. If he is correct, there is a severe

danger that the Vietnamese would not be willing to accept the

aircraft: in the circumstances, we would not be able to proceed with

the operation.

We need urgently to consider how we should proceed with the

repatriation of boat people if such a situation does arise.

Below,

3.

I set out a few thoughts on a course of action we could pursue.

4.

There is a likelihood that of the boat people in Hong Kong,

around 40,000 will be screened out. At SC3 there was broad

agreement, even from the Americans, that we should aim at a

timescale of three years for the repatriation of the screened out,

to match the timescale for the resettlement of refugees. To achieve

this, we would need to build to a rate of flow back to Vietnam of a

little over 250 people per week.

GABAAJ

SECRET