TNAG-1909-FCO40-2713-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-voluntary-and-mandatory-repat-1989 — Page 101

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STANDARDS OF SUPERIOR QUALITY. THE RETURNEES WERE ALL THERE AND THE GREAT MAJORITY (I COUNTED 46) GATHERED ROUND WHEN I STOPPED

TO CHAT AND TO ASK WHETHER THEY HAD ANY POINTS THEY WISHED TO

RAISE WITH ME. THEY DID. THEY HAD OBVIOUSLY BEEN REHEARSED TO

SOME EXTENT AND WERE PUT FORWARD WITH THE ACQUIESENCE OF THE AUTHORITIES IN THE CENTRE.

5. IN BRIEF THE RETURNEES COMPLAINED:

A) THAT THEY HAD BEEN PROMISED US DOLLARS 50 PER ADULT AND

30 PER CHILD (AS FOR THE VOLUNTEER RETURNEES) WHEN THEY WERE BOARD-

ING THE AIRCRAFT. IN THE EVENT THEY RECEIVED ONLY US DOLLARS 30

AND 15.

B) THAT THEY HAD BEEN PROMISED THAT THE VIETNAMESE AMBASSADOR

AND OFFICIALS WOULD BE AT THE AIRPORT OR EVEN ON THE AIRCRAFT.

C) THAT THEY HAD ALMOST ALL IF NOT ALL SOUGHT TO VOLUNTEER FOR RETURN BUT SOMEHOW OR OTHER THEIR REQUESTS HAD BEEN IGNORED.

D) THAT THE MANNER OF THE RETURN WHEREBY THEY WERE WOKEN UP

IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND GIVEN VIRTUALLY NO TIME TO PACK,

WAS INHUMANE.

E) THAT THE PREGNANT WOMAN HAD BEEN PROMISED THAT SHE WOULD NOT TRAVEL UNTIL AFTER THE BIRTH OF HER CHILD. (SHE SAID SHE WAS 7 MONTHS PREGNANT AND CERTAINLY LOOKED DECIDEDLY ILL).

F) THERE WAS A FURTHER BLEAT ABOUT THE LOST PIECE OF LUGGAGE.

6. I PROMISED TO PASS ON THEIR VIEWS TO THE APPROPRIATE AUTHORITIES BUT POINTED OUT THAT THERE WAS NO REASON IN PRINCIPLE WHY THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN TREATED FINANCIALLY AS GENEROUSLY AS THE VOLUNTEER RETURNEES. WHEN I ASKED THE CHIEF BARRACK ROOM LAWYER WHETHER HE WOULD PREFER TO BE HERE IN VIETNAM OR IN A DETENTION CAMP IN HONG KONG HE WISELY SAID WITHOUT HESITATION THAT

HE WOULD PREFER TO BE IN VIETNAM..

7. I SHALL LET YOU HAVE SOME THOUGHTS ON THE RETURNEES COMPLAINTS IN DUE COURSE: THERE MAY BE SOME POINTS WHICH REQUIRE A LITTLE ATT-

ENTION IN HONG KONG.

8 THE VIETNAMESE ATTITUDE TO PUBLICITY IS DULL-WITTED AND WILL NOT WORK TO THEIR ADVANTAGE OR OURS. I AM THEREFORE SEEKING TO PERSUADE THEM TO LOOSEN UP. I SPOKE LAST NIGHT OFF THE

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