TNAG-1971-FCO40-2804-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation-1989 — Page 23

CONFIDENTIAL

лы

162007

MDHIAN 1077

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 1219

OF 18091OZ APRIL 89

INFO IMMEDIATE HANOI, UKMIS GENEVA

HKD 24,3/9

P TOP COPY

MOT?

YOUR TELNO 156 TO HANOI : VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE : VOLUNTARY

REPATRIATION

WE MUST DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO ENCOURAGE VOLUNTARY

REPATRIATION AND AGREE THAT THE IDEA IN TUR SHOULD BE PURSUED.

2. WE SHOULD NOT HOWEVER BE UNAWARE OF THE POSSIBILITY, REMOTE AS IT MAY BE, THE THE FORMER VBP SELECTED TO COME TO HONG KONG MIGHT

DECIDE NOT TO RETURN TO VIETNAM. THIS WOULD OF COURSE BE DISASTROUS

FOR THE VOLUNTARY PROGRAMME

3

WITH CAREFUL SELECTION, HOWEVER, THIS WORST CASE SCENARIO CAN PROBABLY BE AVOIDED. WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR HANOI'S ASSESSMENT

OF THIS RISK. WE SHOULD ALSO WELCOME UKMIS GENEVA'S COMMENT ON THE

LIKELY UNHCR REACTION TO THE IDEA.

WILSON

YYYY

ΜΑΙΝ

97

DISTRIBUTION

103

.VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HK

LIMITED

HKD

SEAD

UND

LEGAL ADVISERS

PUSD

ECD (E)

FED

NAD

NEWS D

PS

PS/LORD GLENARTHUR

PS/MRS CHALKER

PS/MR PATTEN ODA

PS/MR EGGAR

PS/PUS

MR GILLMORE

MR SLATER

MR MCLAREN

PAGE

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CONFIDENTIAL