TNAG-1912-FCO40-2716-Financial-assistance-from-the-UK-Government-to-Vietnamese-re-1989 — Page 32

CONFIDENTIAL

FM UKMIS GENEVA

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 755

CONFIDENTIAL

HKB

НКВ 273.15...

161

111366 149)

MDHIAN 8817

TO

HKB 243/11

COPY

9990

OF 121517Z DECEMBER

1989

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, WASHINGTON, HANOI, CANBERRA, OTTAWA

Kiitatchad

FCO TELNO TO 2282 TO WASHINGTON:

REPATRIATION

VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE

1. I CALLED ON ACTING HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES THIS MORNING (12 DECEMBER). HINTEREGGER'S REACTION WAS CALM AND NOT UNFRIENDLY. HE UNDERSTOOD THE DIFFICULT SITUATION IN HONG KONG BUT HAD HOPED THAT THE FIRST RETURN FLIGHT OF NON-VOLUNTEERS WOULD BE DELAYED UNTIL AFTER JANUARY'S RESUMED SC3 MEETING. THERE WAS A NEED TO ENSURE THAT THE SCREENING PROCESS WAS ABOVE CRITICISM (REFERENCE WAS MADE TO AMNESTY'S STATEMENT OF 11 DECEMBER), BUT UNHCR CONFIRMED THAT THEY WERE SATISFIED THAT THE 51 RETURNED DID NOT COME WITHIN THEIR MANDATE. HINTEREGGER REFUSED TO BE DRAWN ON UNHCR MONITORING, STRESSING THAT THIS WAS AN ISSUE FOR STOLTENBERG TO DECIDE WHEN HE TOOK UP OFFICE.

2. I ASKED WHAT PUBLIC LINE UNHCR WOULD BE TAKING, STRESSING THE NEED TO AVOID DIVISIVE COMMENT. HELPFULLY, HINTEREGGER CONFIRMED THAT UNHCR WOULD NOT (NOT) BE MAKING ANY FORMAL PUBLIC STATEMENT. THEIR PRESS OFFICE WOULD MERELY RESPOND TO ENQUIRIES FROM JOURNALISTS.

SANKEY

YYYY

ΜΑΙΝ

61

VIETNAMESE REPATRIATION

LIMITED

HKD

SEAD

UND

DISTRIBUTION

63

PS

PS/MR MAUDE PS/LORD BRABAZON

PS/PUS

MR GILLMORE

PAGE

1

CONFIDENTIAL