TNAG-1909-FCO40-2713-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-voluntary-and-mandatory-repat-1989 — Page 9

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HKB 243 19

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

09 JAN 1990

555

156572

MDHIAN 0934

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

FM HANOI

TELNO 736

OF 30023OZ DECEMBER 89

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

(545)

DESK OFFICER

RA

INDEX

UKMTS GENEVA

TOPC

Q DIST

HONG KONG TELNO 4242 TO YOU: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: REPATRIATION

1. I CALLED ON LE THO ON 29 DECEMBER FOR A BRIEF MEETING (WHICH IS ALL HE COULD MANAGE ON THAT OCCASION). I EMPHASISED THAT WE WISHED TO GET THINGS MOVING ON THE NEXT AND SUBSEQUENT FLIGHTS FOR NON-VOLUNTEERS AND NOW WISHED TO PROPOSE SPECIFICALLY 22 OR 23 JANUARY. HE RESPONDED THAT THE MATTER WAS ALREADY BEING CONSIDERED BY THE MINISTER ( ON THE BASIS OF MY EARLIER COMMUNICATION TO HIM THAT WE WISHED TO ARRANGE THE NEXT FLIGHT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AFTER 19 JANUARY). HE PROMISED TO LET US KNOW HIS MINISTER'S VIEWS AS SOON AS POSSIVLE: HE WOULD COMMUNICATE WITH PETER WHITEHEAD IN MY ABSENCE IN BANGKOK ( UNTIL 6 JANUARY). HE POINTED OUT HOWEVER THAT THE DATES I HAD MENTIONED WERE VERY CLOSE INDEED TO THE FIRST DAY OF VIETNAMESE NEW YEAR (26 JANUARY). I SAID THAT I REALISED THIS BUT IN OUR VIEW IT WAS IMPORTANT TM DEVELOP GOOD MOMENTUM IN THIS EXERCISE. MY IMPRESSION FROM THE WAY HE SPOKE ABOUT THE ISSUE WAS THAT THE PAPERS HAD BEEN PUT UP TO HIS MINISTER WITH A POSITIVE LINE OF RECOMMENDATION. WHITEHEAD WILL KEEP THE PRESSURE UP NEXT WEEK.

2. I WENT ON TO SAY THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO ORGANISE A GOOD FLOW OF RETURNEES AND WOULD LIKE TOSTART PLANNING FLIGHTS AT THE RATE OF TWO PER MONTH. I ALSO SAID THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP IF IT WAS A QUESTION OF ENLARGING THE FACILITIES AT THIS END FOR THIS AND THE VOLUNTEER PROGRAMME. HE PROMIESED TO DISCUSSCO THESE POINTS WITH HIS COLLEAGUES IN THE INTERIOR AND LABOUR

MINISTRIES. HE COMMENTED THAT HE HAD JUST RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THE UNHCR REP WHO WAS PROPOSING THAT IN THE NEW YEAR THERE SHOULD BE THREE BOLUNTEER FLIGHTS PER MONTH. HE THEN SAID THAT MR VU KHOAN WOULD IN DUE COURSE WISH TO DISCUSS ALL THESE MATTERS WITH ME. I SAID I LOOKED FORWARD TO THAT BUT EXPRESSED THE HOPE THAT THERE COULD BE A SPEEDY GO-AHEAD IN MY ABSENCE AT LEAST FOR THE DATE OF THE NEXT FLIGHT.

.. THO HIMSELF RAISED THE QUESTION OF UNHCR MONITORING THE

NON-VOLUNTEER RETURNS. I MADE IT CLEAR THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WE WOULD LIKE BETTER AND HOPED THAT IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE TO AGREE

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