TNAG-1909-FCO40-2713-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-voluntary-and-mandatory-repat-1989 — Page 195

Scra

CONFIDENTIAL

FROM:

DH Colvin

South-East Asia Dept

4 December 1989

DATE:

HKB 243 la

CC:

PS

PS/Mr Maude

PS/Lord Brabazon PS/PUS

Mr Weston

Mr Paul, HKD

Mr Haswell, HKD

Mr Faint, ODA

Miss Harper, SEAD

Mr Whitehead, News Dept

Mr Lidington

Mr Fraser

Mr David Davis MP

A

B

VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: OVERCOMING HANOI'S OPPOSITION TO FORCIBLE REPATRIATION

1 The Minister of State asked how Vietnam's predicted opposition to Hong Kong's operational plan (Hong Kong telno 3948) could be overcome, granted HMA Hanoi's view that the degree of force envisaged violates the 26 June Agreement (Hanoi telno 652).

2 Relevant considerations as follows:

a) the 26 June Agreement states that "Acting upon its policy, the Vietnamese side considered forcible repatriation as inappropriate";

b)

the Hong Kong Government's plans (waking people at 0300, deploying 100 CSD officers etc) is designed to ensure acquiescence (ie to avoid the use of force). Whether or not it proves necessary to use force will only be known when the time comes;

c)

against that, it could be argued that the deployment of police resources on such a scale is itself intimidatory and therefore constitutes the use of force, whether or not the boat people acquiesce.

CA2ANH

CONFIDENTIAL

451

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