SECRET
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 4032
OF 07110OZ DECEMBER 89
INFO IMMEDIATE HANOI
SECRET
HKB 243 la
466
075702
MDHIAN 8086
TOP COPY
Q DIST ?
455
YOUR TELNO 410 TO HANOI AND 2435 TO HONG KONG, AND HANOI TELNOS ∙107, 667 AND 668 : VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: REPATRIATION
456
457
1. DISEMBARKATION (PARA 6 OF YOUR FIRST TUR). IF RETURNEES ARE RELUCTANT TO LEAVE THE AIRCRAFT AT HANOI THE SENIOR SECURITY BRANCH OFFICIAL WILL AUTHORISE THE IMMIGRATION OFFICERS TO GUIDE THEM DOWN THE STEPS I.E. GENTLE PERSUASION AS DESCRIBED IN FIFTH TUR. WE ACCEPT HANOI'S ADVICE THAT ANYTHING MORE THAN THIS, FOR EXAMPLE CARRYING PEOPLE DOWN THE STEPS OR USING HANDCUFFS, WOULD BE UNACCEPTABLE. THE IMPLICATION IS OF COURSE THAT THOSE WHO RESIST STRENUOUSLY COULD NOT BE REMOVED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND WOULD HAVE TO BE RETURNED TO HONG KONG. IF THIS HAPPENS THE IMPLICATIONS FOR FUTURE REMOVALS COULD BE SERIOUS.
2. START TIME (PARA 2 OF YOUR SECOND TUR). WE ARE ANXIOUS TO START THE OPERATION AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE SO AS TO MINIMISE THE CHANCES OF A PRESS PRESENCE AT PHOENIX HOUSE AND TO ALLOW A MARGIN FOR SLIPPAGE. DELAY MIGHT FOR ONE HOUR BE POSSIBLE BUT WE WONDER IF THIS WOULD BE OF SUFFICIENT SIGNIFICANCE IN TERMS OF AVOIDING THE EVENING NEWS BULLETINS IN THE UK TO MAKE IT WORTH WHILE. A FURTHER CONSIDERATION IS THAT CATHAY PACIFIC ARE ANXIOUS TO LEAVE EARLY SO AS TO OVERFLY AN AREA OF THE SOUTH CHINA SEA WHICH CLOSES TO AIR TRAFFIC FOR SEVERAL HOURS EACH MORNING. THIS WILL ENABLE THEM TO REDUCE THE FLIGHT TIME AND MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR THE AIRCRAFT TO DO THE ROUND TRIP WITHOUT REFUELLING. SUBJECT TO YOUR VIEWS, WE WOULD PREFER TO LEAVE THE START TIME AS PLANNED.
3. GROUND HANDLING EQUIPMENT (THIRD TUR). THERE HAVE BEEN DIFFICULTIES HERE BUT CATHAY PACIFIC HAVE SOLVED THE PROBLEM. THE STEPS AT HANOI ARE TOO SHORT TO REACH THE DOOR OF A TRISTAR. WE HAVE THEREFORE ASKED CATHAY PACIFIC TO MANUFACTURE A FREE STANDING PLATFORM. THE PLATFORM HAS BEEN TESTED AND IS SAFE. IT WILL BE TRANSPORTED TO HANOI IN KIT FORM ON THE AIRCRAFT AND ASSEMBLED ON ARRIVAL. ONE CATHAY PACIFIC ENGINEER WILL BE IN PLACE IN HANOI ON THE DAY BEFORE THE OPERATION TO ENSURE THAT ALL GROUND HANDLING ARRANGEMENTS ARE IN PLACE. CATHAY PACIFIC WILL ALSO PROVIDE SEVERAL
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