RESTRICTED
ESTRICTED
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE HANOI
TELNO 206
OF 081715Z MAY 90
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, UKMIS GENEVA
074225 MDHOAN 8354
TOP COPY Q DIST?
YOUR TELNO 246: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: MESSAGE TO THACH
1.
GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD REVERT TO THE VIETNAMESE TO REMIND THEM THAT WE STILL AWAIT A DETAILED REPLY TO MR MAUDE'S MESSAGE TO VU KHOAN. AS REFERRED TO IN THE MESSAGE TO THACH.
WE ARE NOT ATTRACTED TO THE IDEA THAT WE MIGHT SELECT A GROUP OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN FOR THE NEXT REPATRIATION OF 'ACQUIESCENTS'. IT WOULD DO LITTLE MORE THAN OFFER THE VIETNAMESE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ARGUE THAT THEY WERE BEING HELPFUL WHILE ASSURING US OF A BAD PRESS AND LEAVING THE MAIN PROBLEM UNTACKLED. WE DO NOT WANT TO PURSUE A COURSE WHICH MIGHT LEAVE ABLE-BODIED MEN WITH THE IMPRESSION THAT A MERE SHOW OF RESISTANCE IS ENOUGH FOR THEM TO AVOID REPATRIATION. NOR DO WE WISH TO PURSUE THE QUESTION OF MONITORING DEPARTURES, WHICH UNHCR HAVE MADE CLEAR THEY ARE NOT PREPARED TO UNDERTAKE. NO COUNTRY CAN INSIST ON THE MONITORING ON DEPARTURE OF ITS OWN CITIZENS WHO ARE BEING RETURNED AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. 3. GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD ALSO ARRANGE FOR AN EARLY VISIT TO THE NEW TRANSIT CENTRE. IN YOUR TELNO 177 YOU REPORTED THAT THE COMPLETION DATE OF END-APRIL LOOKED REASONABLE AT THAT TIME. GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD FIND OUT WHAT HAS CAUSED THE DELAY, AND PRESS THE VIETNAMESE TO COMPLETE THE WORK AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, REMINDING THEM OF THEIR UNDERTAKINGS TO MR MAUDE
THAT THE WORK WAS TO HAVE BEEN COMPLETED BY THE END OF LAST MONTH SO THAT THEY COULD BEGIN TO ACCEPT 1000 PEOPLE THIS MONTH.
HURD
YYYY
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