TNAG-2067-FCO40-2945-Vietnamese-boat-people-unaccompanied-minors-in-Hong-Kong-1990 — Page 6

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24

HKB

2+3 /15

170133

MDHIAN 7901

-CEED

C

MAY 1990

RESTRICTED

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA

TELNO 10

OF 090808Z APRIL 90

INFO IMMEDIATE FCO, HANOI, WASHINGTON

3

YOUR TELNO 253: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE:

UNACCOMPANIED MINORS

VIEIRA DE MELLO'S COMMENTS REPORTED IN TUR AMOUNT TO A WELCOME ADVANCE ON THE POSITION AS WE HAD UNDERSTOOD IT DURING HIS VISIT TO HONG KONG. CHE HAD SAID TO US THAT UNHCR WOULD NOT OBJECT TO THEIR MANDATORY REPATRIATION, WHICH RATHER BEGGED THE QUESTION IN THE ABSENCE OF ARRANGEMENTS FOR MANDATORY REPATRIATION). WE UNDERSTAND UNHCR'S CONCERNS AND ACCEPT THAT IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS WE WILL HAVE TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR RETURNING THOSE MINORS WHO CANNOT BE PERSUADED TO RETURN VOLUNTARILY. THE DIFFICULTY HAD BEEN TO FIND A MEANS OF RETURNING SUCH MINORS BUT VIEIRA DE MELLO'S PROPOSAL THAT THEY RETURN ON THE VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION FLIGHTS WITH AN HKG ESCORT WOULD SEEM A SENSIBLE SOLUTION.

WILSON

YYYY

ΜΑΙΝ

113

DISTRIBUTION

123

.VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HK

LIMITED

HKD

SEAD

UND

LEGAL ADVISERS

PUSD

ECD (E)

FED

NAD

NEWS D

RMD

PS

PS/MR MAUDE

PS/MR SAINSBURY

PS/LORD BRABAZON

PS/MRS CHALKER

PS/PUS

MR GILLMORE

MR SLATER

MR MCLAREN

MR MOSS

MR BLATHERWICK

INFO D

FINANCE D

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