CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 958
OF 04133OZ MAY 89
INFO PRIORITY HANOI, UKMIS GENEVA
HKD 343:19
100
037720 MDHOAN 0502
MY TWO IPTS: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE : SCREENING PROCEDURES AND VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION
1
-
IN VIEW OF THE NEED TO PURSUE URGENTLY ALL COURSES OF REDUCING THE PRESSURE OF NUMBERS IN HONG KONG, WE SHOULD LOOK ALSO AT WHAT MIGHT BE DONE TO ENHANCE THE PROCEDURES AND MECHANISMS WE ALREADY HAVE IN PLACE. WE SUGGEST THAT OUR ATTENTION SHOULD FOCUS ON TWO MAIN
(A) SCREENING.
(B)
2.
ENCOURAGING VOLUNTEERS.
AREAS:
PENDING THE OUTCOME OF APPEALS, NO BOAT PEOPLE
HAVE YET BEEN FINALLY SCREENED OUT. IT IS PERHAPS NOT SURPRISING
THE THEREFORE THAT WHILST SOME HOPE OF RESETTLEMENT LINGERS, NUMBERS OF VOLUNTEERS HAVE SO FAR BEEN SMALL. THERE IS NOW A CLEAR NEED TO SPEED UP THE SCREENING PROCESS, PERHAPS ALONG THE LINES OF THE INTENTIONS PUT FORWARD BY THE THAIS' AT THE COORDINATING COMMITTEE MEETING, WHICH ENVISAGE A 90-DAY PROCESS INCLUDING A 30-DAY APPEAL PERIOD. COULD THIS BE DONE IN A WAY WHICH RESPECTED THE INTEGRITY OF THE APPEALS PROCEDURE? GRATEFUL TO KNOW HOW YOUR OWN THOUGHTS ARE PROGRESSING
ON THIS.
3. WE NEED ALSO TO CONSIDER WHAT ACTION MIGHT BE TAKEN IN THE
IDEAS CAMPS TO PERSUADE MORE VOLUNTEERS TO RETURN TO HONG KONG. COULD INCLUDE THE MOUNTING OF A MAJOR PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN AND FURTHER PURSUIT OF THE POSSIBILITY OF A VISIT TO THE CAMPS BY VOLUNTEERS WHO HAVE ALREADY RETURNED, DISCUSSIONS ON WHICH RESTS WITH OUR TELNO 1219 AND HANOI TELNO 28 TO HONG KONG. GRATEFUL FOR YOUR VIEWS.
HOWE
YYYY
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