RESTRICTED
FM HANOI
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 102
OF 03060OZ MARCH 89
AND TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
RESTRICTED
MKD 243/9
(79)
176043
MDHIAN 5076
TOP COPY @ DIST ?
INFO PRIORITY BANGKOK, UKMIS GENEVA, KUALA LUMPUR
INFO PRIORITY WASHINGTON, TOKYO, PEKING
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG: FIRST RETURNS
SUMMARY
1. THE FIRST BATCH OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE FROM HONG KONG, TOTALLING 75 PEOPLE, RETURNED TO HANOI DURING THE EVENING
OF 2 MARCH. THEY WERE WELL BEHAVED AND ORDERLY AND SEEMED REASONABLY
CONTENT. THEIR BAGGAGE INCLUDED MANY ELECTRONIC GOODS FROM HONG KONG, SOMETHING WHICH THE MEDIA DID NOT FAIL TO NOTICE AND REPORT. THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES WENT TO SOME LENGTHS TO MAKE
ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE INTERNATIONAL MEDIA. AN INTERIOR MINISTRY REPRESENTATIVE MADE A PUBLIC STATEMENT GUARANETEEING THAT THIS BATCH OF RETURNEES WOULD NOT BE PUNISHED AND SUPPORTING HONG
KONG'S SCREENING POLICY.
DETAIL
INTERNATIONAL
2. AFTER 2 DAYS OF BAD WEATHER DURING WHICH ONE THAI
FLIGHT FROM BANGKOK WAS TURNED BACK AND CONCERNS ABOUT THE
ABILITY OF AIRCRAFT TO LAND AT NOI BAI AIRPORT AFTER DARK, A DRAGONAIR 737 WITH 75 VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE ON BOARD LANDED SMOOTHLY AT HANOI AT 1940 LOCAL TIME ON 2 MARCH. THE EVENT WAS WELL COVERED BY THE LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL MEDIA AND THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES IMPOSED FEW IF ANY RESTRICTIONS ON THEM.
H OF C TOGETHER WIH PETER BEAN AND SEBASTIAN WOOD FROM BANGKOK
ATTENDED THE EVENT.
3. THE VIETNAMESE RECEPTION COMMITTEE CONSISTED OF REPRESENTIATIVES FROM THE MINISTRIES OF INTERIOR, SOCIAL AFFAIRS, AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS. THE SENIOR MAN WAS NGUYEN CAN, HEAD OF THE IMMIGRATION AND EMIGRATION DEPT OF THE MINISTRY OF INTERIOR, WHO WAS A MEMBER OF THE VIETNAMESE DELEGATION TO BOTH ROUNDS OF BILATERAL TALKS.
AFTER A BRIEF CEREMONY DURING WHICH CAN FORMALLY TOOK CHARGE OF THE VBP'S FROM THE UNHCR, HE ADDRESSED THE VBP'S TO EXPLAIN VIETNAM'S POLICY TOWARDS THEM. THIS STATEMENT WAS TRANSLATED INTO
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