CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HANOI
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 655
OF 010837Z DECEMBER 89
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
INFO ROUTINE UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON
с
055716 MDADAN 6616
ADVANCE COPY
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: REPATRIATION
1 IN YOUR TELEGRAM NO 402 ABOUT MORE GENERAL MATTERS YOU REFER TO THACH'S STATEMENT ON BOAT PEOPLE HAVING RECEIVED WIDESPREAD PUBLICTY. IT IS NOT CLEAR TO ME WHICH STATEMENT
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I WOULD GUESS, SUBJECT TO YOUR CONFIRMATION, THAT YOU REFER TO THACH'S STATEMENT TO NICK CUMMING-BRUCE OF THE GUARDIAN WHO INTERVIEWED HIM LAST WEEK AND GAINED AN IMPRESSION THAT THACH MIGHT BE SHOWING MORE FLEXIBILITY THAN HITHERTO ON NON-VOLUNTEERS. (UNFORTUNATELY MY DEBRIEFING OF CUMMING-BRUCE WAS MINIMAL, AS IT OCCURED BY TELEPHONE DANAG/HANOI).
2. I WENT OVER THE GROUND AGAIN SEVERAL TIMES IN DETAIL WITH THACH ON 30 NOVEMBER. HIS VIEW REMAINS THAT FORCE MUST NOT BE USED BUT HE PROFESSES HIMSELF CONVINCED THAT THERE IS A LARGE GREY AREA, WHAT HE LIKE TO CALL ''THE SILENT MAJORITY'', WHO WILL ACQUIESCE IN BEING RETURNED WHILE NOT VOLUNTEERING. HIS CLEAR HOPE REMAINS THAT AT THE END OF THE PROCESS OF RETURNING VOLUNTEERS AND GREY AREA PEOPLE, THERE WILL BE A HARD CORE OF VERY FEW PEOPLE TO DEAL WITH, PERHPAS A THOUSAND OR SO.
3. I PRESSED HIM VERY HARD INDEED ON WHY HE THOUGHT VIETNAM SHOULD BE THE ONLY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD NOT TO BE OBLIGIED TO TAKE BACK
HE ITS CITIZENS WHO WERE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IN OTHER COUNTRIES. POINTED TO THE PRACTICAL DIFFICULTIES OF RE-ABSORBING INTO A POOR ECONOM LARGE NUMBERS OF RELUCTANT RETURNEES, WHO WOULD IN ANY CASE TAKE TE FIRST OPPORTUNITY TO LEAVE AGAIN. I SAID THAT THIS WAS AN UNDERSTANDABLE CONCERN ON HIS PART BUT NOT A SUFFICIENT REASON. HE THEN WENT ON TO TAKE HIS USUAL LINE ABOUT HUMANITARIAN PRINCIPLES. I EXPLAINED TO HIM YET AGAIN THE FACTS OF INTERNATIONAL LIFE. AT THE END HE SAID THAT VIETNAM WAS NOT IMPRESSED WITH AN INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY WHICH HAD FOR YEARS ACCUSED VIETNAM OF SERIOUS VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS, IN PARTICULAR RELATING TO EMIGRATION OF ITS CITIZENS BUT NOW DEMANDED THAT VIETNAM TAKE BACK THOSE WHO HAD DEPARTED ILLEGALLY.
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