TNAG-1909-FCO40-2713-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-voluntary-and-mandatory-repat-1989 — Page 92

CONFIDENTIAL

509

121776

MDHOAN 9710

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

DESKBY 15010OZ HANOI

ΤΟ

TELNO 424

OF 14190OZ DECEMBER INFO IMMEDIATE HONG

89

KONG

(504)

YOUR TELNO 687:

1.

HKB

24319

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

04 JAN 1990

JESK L ICEH INDEX

TOP COPY DIST

REGISTRY.

必

won Taken

VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE:

PUBLICITY

VIETNAMESE CHARGE CALLED ON GUY (SEAD) THIS AFTERNOON TO EXPRESS CONCERN ABOUT THE PUBLICITY WHICH HAD SURROUNDED REPATRIATION. HE SAID IT WAS REGRETTABLE THAT THIS HAD APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN STIMULATED FROM THE BRITISH SIDE. WITH SO MUCH PUBLICITY, THE PUBLIC IN THE UK AND VIETNAM WOULD NOT UNDERSTAND (THAT THOSE WHO HAD BEEN REPATRIATED HAD NOT RESISTED). VIETNAM WISHED FOR RESPECT OF THE AGREEMENTS WHICH HAD BEEN REACHED

BETWEEN US.

2 =

GUY EXPLAINED THAT WE HAD ACTED THROUGHOUT IN

ACCORDANCE WITH OUR COMMITMENTS. HMG HAD BEEN AT THE RECEIVING END OF CONSIDERABLE CRITICISM FOR AVOIDING PUBLICITY PRIOR TO THE REPATRIATION. GIVEN THE EXTENT OF PUBLIC AND PARLIAMENTARY INTEREST IN THIS SUBJECT, WE COULD NOT GIVE ANY GUARANTEES ABOUT THE EXTENT OF PUBLICITY AFTER THE EVENT. WE OURSELVES HAD NOTED WITH REGRET THAT VIETNAMESE SPOKESMAN HAD BEEN WILLING TO GIVE DETAILS OF OUR AGREEMENT TO THE PRESS PRIOR TO THE REPATRIATION: AND THE TIMES OF 14 DECEMBER CARRIED A REPORT QUOTING A SENIOR VIETNAMESE SPOKESMAN (THA THE ANGLO VIETNAMESE AGREEMENT PROVIDED FOR ONLY ONE REPATRIATION). ATTEMPT TO CURTAIL PRESS INTEREST WOULD BE COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE. GUY WENT ON TO SUGGEST THAT FAVOURABLE PUBLICITY NOW OF SUCCESSFULLY REPATRIATED BOAT PEOPLE WOULD SERVE BOTH OUR INTERESTS.

3.

ANY

THE

IN PARALLEL, THE TIMES PICTURES EDITOR HAS ASKED US TO ALLOW HIS STRINGER IN HANOI TO TAKE PICTURES OF THE RETURNEES ARGUING THAT PICTURES SHOWING THESE PEOPLE CONTENT AND SETTLED IN VIETNAM WOULD HELPFUL. WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE TIMES STRINGER IN HANOI (GARY KNIGHT) HAS ALREADY BEEN IN TOUCH WITH YOU ABOUT THIS. TIMES EDITOR SAYS THAT KNIGHT WAS TOLD BY THE VIETNAMESE THAT IT WAS UP TO THE BRITISH WHETHER OR NOT HE COULD TAKE PICTURES OF RETURNEES. AS YOU KNOW, IT IS THE VIETNAMESE WHO HAVE HITHERTO RESISTED PUBLICITY. GRATEFUL TO KNOW WHETHER YOU SEE ANY SCOPE

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