TNAG-2063-FCO40-2941-Vietnamese-boat-people-repatriation-1990 — Page 156

CONFIDENTIAL

subsequently outlined to the Vietnamese, consisted of three

main components:

8.

a.

b.

C.

assistance to communities from which the boat

people predominantly come, to be run by NGOs under

a special scheme an initial allocation of £lm;

-

a small regular technical assistance programme, mainly consisting of training and the Heads of

Mission Gift Scheme - £100,000 allocated for

1990/91, rising in future years;

a constructive role in discussions on Vietnam in

the IFIs, and an eventual willingness to provide

programme aid for an internationally agreed adjustment programme - perhaps some $5m.

Mrs Chalker and Mr Maude agreed in principle that we should be prepared to activate our NGO programme if the Vietnamese agreed to a quick turn around scheme to meet the

problem of new VBP arrivals in the 1990 sailing season

(submission of 11 January, Flag B).

9. There is increasing evidence that the Vietnamese are unwilling to continue with a purely bilateral re-patriation

programme. In addition, considerable progress has been made

towards an international consensus

consensus on repatriation, and much

of our diplomatic effort is now directed at securing an

internationally sponsored arrangement. Within the UK, there

seems to be

to be an increasing body of opinion that the Government should be providing some form of humanitarian or

economic assistance to Vietnam, and particularly to the

areas from which the boat people mainly come. This creates a case for starting the NGO scheme at an early stage without

preconditions.

CONFIDENTIAL