TNAG-1909-FCO40-2713-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-voluntary-and-mandatory-repat-1989 — Page 72

CONFIDENTIAL

520)

127043

TOP COPY MDHIAN 9554 Q DIST?

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HANOI

(CORRECTED VERSION)

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

J

TELNO 699

OF 18023OZ DECEMBER 89

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG AND WASHINGTON INFO ROUTINE CANBERRA

(518)

MY TELNO 698: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE

HKB

24319

RECEIVE!

STRY

04 JAN 1990

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

HA

REGISTRY

Action Taken

1. THE NOTE REFERRED TO IN MY PARAGRAPH 7 OF TUR IS RATHER HARSHER THAN I HAD UNDERSTOOD AND CONTAINS THE SUGGESTION THAT

IF ANY OF THE RETURNEES IS DISCOVERED TO HAVE BEEN SUBJECTED TO FORCE THEY MIGHT BE RETURNED TO HONG KONG.(FULL TEXT IN MIFT). THIS LAST POINT WAS NOT REPEAT NOT MADE BY VU KHOAN TO ME. I AM AFRAID THAT IT IS PERFECTLY POSSIBLE THAT HEDID NOT KNOW THAT IT APPEARED IN THE NOTE. I AM NOW CONVINCED THAT HE WAS UNAWARE THAT I HAD ASKED TWO DAYS PREVIOUSLY TO CALL ON HIM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE,

AND THAT AS FAR AS I WAS CONCERNED THE CALL ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON WAS AT MY NOT HIS REQUEST. THE REPORT WHICH HAS NOW APPEARED IN THE VIETNAM NEWS AGENCY IMPLIES THAT I WAS SUMMONED TO THE MFA AND HANDED A STRONG NOTE. JUST TO COMPLICATE MATTERS LE THO WHOM I SAW ON FRIDAY MORNING DID NOT KNOW UNTIL I TOLD HIM THAT I WAS CALLING ON VU KNOAN THAT AFTERNOON. I CONCLUDED FROM ALL THIS THAT

THERE IS SOME DISARRAY ON THE VIETNAMESE SIDE ABOUT HOW TO HANDLE THE SITUATION AND VOAT THERE ARE ELEMENTS PERHAPS EVEN WITHIN THE FOREIGN MINISTRY WHO WOULD BE HAPPY TO SEE THE REPATRIATION SCHEME SCUPPERED. AS YOU KNOW I HAVE FELT FOR SOME TIME THAT NON-VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION PRESENTS POLITICAL PROBLEM FOR THE VIEENAMESE, FOR REASONS WHICH ARE NOT CLEAR.

2. THERE IS ANOTHER POSSIBLE COMPLICATING FACTOR. I LEARNED YESTERDAY FROM SOMEONE WHO HAS GOOD ACCESS HERE THAT THE VIETNAMESE RECEIVED A MESSAGE FROM THE AMERICANS ON SUNDAY 10 DECEMBER. IT APPARENTLY CONCERNED THE SOLUTION OF THE CAMBODIAN PROBLEM AND THE NORMALISATION OF RELATIONS WITH THE US. MY SOURCE DID NOT KNOW WHETHER ANY MENTION WAS MADE OF THE BOAT PEOPLE ISSUE. EVEN IF IT DID NOT IT COULD WELL HAVE STRENGTHENED THE HAND OF THOSE OPPOSED TO REPATRIATION WHO COULD ARGUE THAT THIS WAS THE WRONG TIME TO DO ANYTHING WHICH WAS KNOWN

TO BE CONTRARY TO AMERICAN WISHES.

3. MY RECOMMENDATION IS THAT

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