TNAG-1972-FCO40-2805-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation-1989 — Page 56

CONFIDENTIAL

HKD 24319

(192

032344

MDHIAN 3083

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO DESKBY 031130Z FCO

TELNO 1396

OF 031015Z MAY 89

INFO IMMEDIATE HANOI, UKMIS GENEVA

INFO PRIORITY PEKING, BANGKOK, KUALA LUMPUR, TOKYO, WASHINGTON

YOUR TELNO 940: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE : REGIONAL HOLDING CENTRE

1. OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE REINTEGRATION CENTRE IDEA IS THAT IT AMOUNTS TO A REGIONAL HOLDING CENTRE (RHC) TO BE SITED IN VIETNAM DURING THE CO-ORDINATION COMMITTEE MEETING IN MID APRIL IN GENEVA, MOST PARTICIPANTS ACCEPTED THAT AN RHC WAS A USEFUL STEPPING STONE

TO REPATRIATION.

2. WE SEE NO OBJECTION, AND SOME ADVANTAGE, IN SITING A RHC IN VIETNAM IF REPEAT IF THIS CAN BE ACHIEVED SOON. HANOI WILL BE BEST PLACED TO JUDGE WHAT THE PROSPECTS ARE. SEEN FROM HERE, AND TAKING ACCOUNT OF OUR OTHER EXCHANGES WITH THE VIETNAMESE, THE CHANCES DO NOT SEEM GOOD. IF THAT IS SO, I SEE IT AS IMPORTANT THAT WE SHOULD NOT NEGLECT MAKING EVERY EFFORT TO ESTABLISH A RHC IN AREAS WHERE HMG AND OTHERS HAVE SOME LEVERAGE IN PURSUIT OF A HARDER-TO-OBTAIN

OBJECTIVE IN VIETNAM.

3. I MUST EMPHASISE THE POINT THAT, WITH THE CURRENT FLOOD OF ARRIVALS, WE CANNOT AFFORD LONG DRAWN-OUR NEGOTIATIONS ON GETTING IN PLACE MEASURES TO DEAL WITH NON-REFUGEES. THIS NEED FOR SPEED HAS IMPLICATIONS FOR WHETHER AND HOW TO INVOLVE UNHCR. AS I SEE IT, UNHCR INVOLVEMENT WILL ONLY HAVE SUFFICIENT IMPETUS IF IT COMES WITH THE PERSONAL COMMITMENT OF HOCKE AND IS BACKED WITH STRONG SUPPORT FROM GOVERNMENTS.

4. ON THE NEED FOR URGENT ACTION ON AN RHC PLEASE SEE ALSO MY SEPARATE COMMENTS IN MIFT ON THE AMERICAN VIEW AS REPORTED IN WASHINGTON TELNO 1213.

WILSON

YYYY

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