TNAG-1909-FCO40-2713-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-voluntary-and-mandatory-repat-1989 — Page 83

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FM HONG KONG

TO DESKBY 15110OZ FCO

TELNO 4133

OF 150942Z DEC

INFO IMMEDIATE HANOI, UKMIS GENEVA

515

HKB

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

243 19

123270 MDHIAN 9354

04 JAN 1990

WESK OFFICER

REGISTRY

INDEX

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Action Taken

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VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: REPATRIATION

IF WE ARE TO HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE RATE OF ARRIVALS NEXT SUMMER, IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT WE PRESS AHEAD WITH OUR PLANNING FOR FURTHER REPATRIATION FLIGHTS DURING JANUARY AND FEBRUARY. THERE WILL CERTAINLY BE WIDESPREAD INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE FOR DELAY BUT, SEEN FROM HERE, IF THE PROGRAMME STALLS IT WILL BE VERY DIFFICULT TO GET IT RESTARTED. WE THEREFORE RECOMMEND THAT WE AIM FOR A SECOND REPATRIATION FLIGHT DURING THE FIRST WEEK IN JANUARY, WITH A THIRD FLIGHT BEFORE THE END OF THAT MONTH.

2. IN DISCUSSING THIS ISSUE WITH THE VIETNAMESE, THERE WOULD SEEM TO BE SOMETHING TO BE GAINED FROM PRESENTING THEM WITH A SCHEDULE OF FLIGHTS RATHER THAN SIMPLY A PROPOSED DATE FOR THE NEXT FLIGHT. SUBJECT TO YOUR AND HANOI'S VIEWS, THE REPATRIATION PROGRAMME DURING JANUARY AND FEBRUARY MIGHT BE AS FOLLOWS:-

SECOND FLIGHT THIRD FLIGHT FOURTH FLIGHT FIFTH FLIGHT SIXTH FLIGHT

4 OR 5 JANUARY

16 OR 17 JANUARY

2 OR 3 FEBRUARY 12 OR 13 FEBRUARY 23 OR 24 FEBRUARY

3.

IN SELECTING THESE DATES WE HAVE IN MIND (A) THE NEED TO ALLOW THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES TIME TO CLEAR THEIR TRANSIT CENTRES, (B) THE NEW YEAR HOLIDAY IN JANUARY AND (C) THE NEED TO VARY THE PATTERN OF THE FLIGHTS (I.E. NOT TO ARRANGE FLIGHTS ON THE SAME DAY EACH WEEK). WE WILL OF COURSE HAVE TO BE FLEXIBLE OVER DATES BUT BY PRESENTING THE VIETNAMESE WITH A SPECIFIC PROGRAMME, WE HOPE TO BE ABLE TO FOCUS THEIR ATTENTION ON THE PRACTICALITIES OF REPATRIATION. BASED ON OUR EXPERIENCE WITH THE FIRST OPERATION, WE THINK IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE TO INCREASE THE SIZE OF THE GROUPS FOR FUTURE FLIGHTS. WE SHALL AIM AT GROUPS OF 80 100.

4. THE IMMEDIATE PRIORITY IF WE ARE TO RETURN A SECOND GROUP IN EARLY JANUARY IS TO ASK THE VIETNAMESE TO CLEAR A FURTHER LIST OF NAMES. WE ARE NOW PREPARING A LIST OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN

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