CONFIDENTIAL
HKB 243 la
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MDHIAN 9103
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HANOI
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 687
OF 140215Z DECEMBER 89
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG,UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON
(02)
MY TELNO 686: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: MONITORING
TOP CQ QDIST
1. AS PLANNED I VISITED THE TRANSIT CENTRE YESTERDAY AFTERNOON ACCOMPANIED BY MR PARRY MY COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER. WAS RECEIVED BY MR NGUYEN CAN OF THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR WHO TREATED ME TO TWO HOMILIES.
2. THE FIRST CONCERNED THE AMOUNT OF PUBLICITY GIVEN TO THE RETURN, IN WHICH THERE WAS FREQUENT REFERENCE TO ''FORCIBLE RETURN''. HE SAID THAT VIETNAM WAS KEEPING TO ITS PROMISE TO KEEP SILENT ABOUT THE OPERATION. I REMINDED CAN THAT I HAD WARNED HIM THAT THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO POSSIBILITY OF KEEPING THE OPERATION QUIET, AND THAT INDEED LAST MONDAY I HAD GIVEN HIM A GUARANTEE THAT THERE WOULD BE VERY CONSIDERABLE PUBLICITY. I THEREUPON GAVE HIM ANOTHER GUARANTEE THAT THERE WOULD BE FURTHER SUBSTANTIAL PUBLICITY. HE PUT ON HIS PARTICULARLY GLUM FACE BUT DID NOT SEEK TO EXTRACT A PROMISE TO KEEP QUIET.
3. THE SECOND HOMILY CONCERNED THE SCALE OF THE OPERATION IN HONG KONG CHE HAD HEARD REPORTS OF HUNDREDS OF POLICEMEN BEING INVOLVED), THE NUMBER OF POLICEMEN ON THE AIRCRAFT AND THE REPORTED PROMISE TO THE RETURNEES THAT THEY WOULD BE MET AT HONG KONG AIRPORT BY THE VIETNAMESE AMBASSADOR TO HONG KONG (SIC). I SAID THAT THERE HAD BEEN A VERY GREAT DEAL OF INACCURATE SENSATIONALIST REPORTING AND COMMENT BY THOSE OPPOSED TO THE REPATRIATION, INCLUDING OPPOSITION POLITICIANS IN THE UK WHERE THE ISSUE SEEMED TO BE IN DANGER OF BECOMING A PARTY POLICIAL ISSUE. I REGRETTED THIS BUT POINTED OUT TO CAN THAT THIS WAS ONE OF THE PRICES FOR A FLOURISHING DEMOCRACY. I PROMISED TO PURSUE THE ALLEGATION ABOUT THE PROMISE OF MEETING THE VIETNAMESE AMBASSADOR AT THE AIRPORT IN HONG KONG, WHICH WAS OF COURSE PTENT NONSENSE SINCE NO SUCH PERSON EXISTED.
4. I THEN LOOKED AT THE ACCOMMODATION WHICH CONSISTED OF ONE STOREY BUILDINGS WITH INDIVIDUAL ROOMS (RATHER LIKE A SHABBY MOTEL): THEY HAD BEEN PART OF A CADRE SCHOOL AND WERE BY LOCAL
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