TNAG-2062-FCO40-2940-Vietnamese-boat-people-repatriation-1990 — Page 164

SECREI

Secretariat (Overseas) (Commitments)

From:

M Howard

MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

Main Building Whitehall London SW1A 2HB

Telephone: (Direct Dialling) 01-218 6272

(Switchboard)

01-218 9000

M Stone Esq

Your reference

Hong Kong Department

Foreign & Commonwealth Office Whitehall SW1

Our reference

D/Sec(0)(C)

Date

8 January 1990

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Dear Michael,

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RECEIVED IN DECISTRY

24 JAN1990

DESK U INDEX

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HONG KONG: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: POSSIBLE USE OF RAF AIRCRAFT FOR MANDATORY REPATRIATION

1. Thankyou for sending me a copy of Hong Kong's Telno 71 reporting on Cathay Pacific's decision not to take part in the next mandatory repatriation operation, and suggesting examination of the use of an RAF aircraft as an alternative. You may find it helpful to have an early indication of our views and you will not be surprised to see that they differ little from those expressed in mine and Gavin Barlow's letters to you and to Charles Haswell when this was last mooted in November.

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2. Firstly, the practicalities. On the assumption that the size of the party to be flown to Vietnam is the same as last time - ie about 50 returnees and 100 escorts it would be necessary to deploy one of the RAF'S 6 Tristars if this was to be done in one flight. The RAF's VC10 aircraft can only carry 129 passengers, so if one of these had to be used, the size of the party would have to be reduced accordingly or more than one flight made. On availability, the RAF air transport fleet is already over-committed in the first half of February. A deployment to Hong Kong and Vietnam could only therefore be carried out at the expense of other commitments which would either have to be cancelled or carried out by civil charter. Depending on the precise nature of the operation we would need about a weeks notice in order to position the aircraft and the crews. The cost to the FCO at no loss to the MOD of the operation itself would be in the region of £100-150k, depending on the aircraft used and the actual length of the operation (the figure of £112,000 quoted by Gavin to Charles was based on use of a VC10 and 39 hours total flying time. To this would have to be added the extra cost of any civil charter carried out by the MOD to meet essential commitments

SECRET