TNAG-1909-FCO40-2713-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-voluntary-and-mandatory-repat-1989 — Page 104

الأصيف لمن يو

CONFIDENTIAL

HKB

243%.

१

502

113651

MDHIAN 8910

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HANOI

TO IDESKBY 13073OZ FCO

TELNO 686

OF 13050OZ DECEMBER 89

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

500)

YOUR TELNO 4195

1

TOP CUP DIST?

VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: MONITORING

LOUISE FOXWELL IS NOT OF COURSE NOW BEST PLACED TO UNDERTAKE THE MONITORING TASK: SHE DEPARTS ON HER LONG DELAYED (BECAUSE OF THE INSPECTION IN OCTOBER) MID-TOUR LEAVE ON 17 DECEMBER. HER FLOATER COVER COULD NOT SENSIBLY BE GIVEN SUCH A TASK. IN ANY CASE THE WORK LOAD ON THE

ADMINISTRATIVE SIDE (NEW PROPERTY ACQUSITIONS ETC)

AND ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE WOULD HAVE MADE IT VERY DIFFICULT INDEED FOR LOUISE TO TAKE PRIME RESPONSIBILITY FOR MONITORING.

2. AS YOU WILL KNOW, LOUISE'S MTL APART, THIS IS A

PARTICULARLY BAD TIME FOR THIS POST IN TERMS OF STAFFING.

PETER WHIEHEAD OF RESEARCH DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN KINDLY STANDING IN AS MY DEPUTY SINCE OCTOBER AND WILL STAY UNTIL EARLY JANUARY, WHEN TONY CANTOR ARRIVES (3 JANUARY). WE SHALL HAVE NO

VIETNAMESE SPEAKER ON THE STAFF UNTIL THE ARRIVAL IN MARCH (WE HOPE) OF ANDREW DEAN.

3. IN VIEW OF THE ABOVE, I SEE NO OPTION BUT FOR THE MONITORING TO BE UNDERTAKEN BY MYSEFL AND MY DEPUTY, IN THE SHORT TERM. IF IN THE EVENT, DESPITE BAKER'S WORDS TO YOU ON 11 DECEMBER, THE UNHCR REMAIN UNWILLING TO BECOME INVOLVED, THEN WE SHALL HAVE TO REVERT TO THE IDEA OF AN EXTRA BODY, FROM HONG KONG, TO DO MOST OF THE JOB.

4. MY TELNO 613 OF 14 NOVEMBER WHICH REMAINS UNACKNOWLEDGED, RAISED THE POSSIBILTY OF WORLD VISION BECOMING INVOLVED. I ASSUME YOU CONSIDERED AND REJECTED THIS.

5. THE SHORT ANSWER IS THAT I SHALL MYSELF BE VISITING THE TRANSIT CENTRE THIS AFTERNOON WITH MR PARRY OF THIS EMBASSY. I SHALL THEN DISCUSS WITH THE VIETNAMESE PLANS FOR VISITING AT LEAST SOME OF THE RETURNEES IN THEIR HOMES AT SOME STAGE

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