TNAG-2063-FCO40-2941-Vietnamese-boat-people-repatriation-1990 — Page 87

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TELNO 942

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

OF 16105OZ MARCH 90

69

CONFIDENTIAL

072020

MDHIAN 1638

HKB

24315

SCEIVER N TFG:

'Y

29 MAR 1990

St

ICER

BA

INFO IMMEDIATE HANOI, UKMIS GENEVA

all

attatched.

YRTELNO 417 HANOI TELNO 113 AND OUR TELNO 9 TO UKMIS GENEVA:

VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION

1. ONE OF THE MAIN IMPEDIMENTS TO EXPANDING THE SCALE OF THE VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION PROGRAMME HAS BEEN VIETNAM'S INSISTENCE THAT OFFICIALS TRAVEL TO HONG KONG TO INTERVIEW THE VOLUNTEERS AND CLEAR THEM FOR RETURN. CLAUSE 9 OF THE DRAFT AGREEMENT SET OUT IN FIRST TUR WAS AN ATTEMPT TO END THIS ARRANGEMENT. THE CLAUSE WAS HOWEVER OMITTED FROM THE FINAL VERSION OF THE AGREEMENT (SECOND TUR).

2. THE VIETNAMESE HAVE APPARENTLY AGREED TO INTERVIEW MORE THAN 900 VOLUNTEERS DURING THEIR NEXT VISIT. NONE THE LESS, WE REMAIN OF THE VIEW THAT THIS ARRANGEMENT SHOULD BE UNNECESSARY. WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR HANOI'S ASSESSMENT OF THE PROSPECTS FOR PERSUADING THE VIETNAMESE TO CLEAR VOLUNTEERS FOR RETURN WITHOUT INTERVIEWING THEM

IN HONG KONG.

3. THE VIETNAMESE ARE LIKELY TO ARGUE THAT THE BEST WAY TO IMPROVE THE CURRENT PROCEDURES WOULD BE TO ALLOW THEM TO BASE OFFICIALS IN HONG KONG FOR THIS PURPOSE. WE BELIEVE THAT WE MUST CONTINUE TO RESIST SUCH A PROPOSAL. WE HAVE FEW CARDS TO PLAY AND WE ARE RELUCTANT TO MAKE SUCH A CONCESSION IN ADVANCE OF MY MOVEMENT ON MANDATORY REPATRIATION.

WILSON

YYYY

ΜΑΙΝ

113

DISTRIBUTION

123

.VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HK

LIMITED

HKD

RMD

PS

PS/MR MAUDE

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1

CONFIDENTIAL