TNAG-1971-FCO40-2804-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation-1989 — Page 39

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 1202

OF 17065OZ APRIL 89

CONFIDENTIAL

19/09/13/9

TOP COPY

((RE-ISSUE BY HONG KONG OF TELNO 1202))

INFO IMMEDIATE HANOI, UKMIS GENEVA

156371

MDHIAN 0907

VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION

1. ALTHOUGH 116 NAMES HAD BEEN PROVIDED BY THE VIETNAMESE FOR THE

SECOND BATCH OF VOLUNTARY RETURNS THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WITH EXTANT REQUESTS HAS UNFORTUNATELY FALLEN TO 58. OUR CONCERN IS THAT A GROUP

OF THIS SIZE WILL REINFORCE THE IMPRESSION OF WANING ENTHUSIASM FOR VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION.

2. WE UNDERSTAND FROM UNHCR THAT 71 FURTHER APPLICATIONS HAVE BEEN

SUBMITTED TO THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES AND ARE STILL BEING

CONSIDERED. WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL IF HANOI COULD BE ASKED TO SEEK VIETNAMESE AGREEMENT FOR THESE PEOPLE ALSO TO BE INTERVIEWED AND

ISSUED WITH PROVISIONAL TRAVEL DOCUMENTS BY THE VISITING VIETNAMESE

OFFICIALS IN ORDER TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF RETURNEES FOR THE SECOND BATCH.

3. ICM HAS INFORMED US THAT AN AIRCRAFT WILL BE AVAILABLE TO TRANSPORT THE RETURNEES TO HANOI ON 27 APRIL, ARRIVING THERE DURING THE DAYLIGHT HOURS. WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE UNHCR WILL SHORTLY INFORM THE VIETNAMESE OF THE DATE AND DETAILS, BUT SUGGEST NEVERTHELESS THAT HANOI SHOULD BE ASKED TO PUT THE DATE TO THE VIETNAMESE ON A

PROVISIONAL BASIS PENDING CONFIRMATION FROM UNHCR.

WILSON

YYYY

ΜΑΙΝ

96

DISTRIBUTION

102

.VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HK

LIMITED

HKD

SEAD

NEWS

PS

PS/LORD GLENARTHUR PS/MR PATTEN ODA

PAGE

1

CONFIDENTIAL