TNAG-2401-FCO40-3488-Vietnamese-migrants-Orderly-Repatriation-Programme-(ORP)-1992 — Page 111

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DRAFT LETTER FROM PRIVATE SECRETARY TO PS/NO 10

VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS: ORDERLY REPATRIATION PROGRAMME (ORP)

In my letter of 9 March I gave an account of where we stood on implementing the Orderly Repatriation Programme (ORP) agreed with Vietnam last October. You will recall

that under these arrangements we have repatriated the

so-called double backers and most of those who arrived in

Hong Kong after 29 October and have been screened out (ORP

I). Although the Vietnamese agreed in principle to repatriation of the screened out who were in Hong Kong

before 29 October 1991 (ORP II), we have been unable to make

progress so far.

During a recent visit to Hong Kong, Vu Khoan, the

Vietnamese Vice Foreign Minister, told officials that it had

been decided in Hanoi that we could now move to the next

phase of the Orderly Repatriation Programme on a trial

basis. He envisaged two or three flights, after which we could review progress.

We should of course have preferred to move directly to the next phase of the Orderly Repatriation Programme, but Vu Khoan's proposal has its attractions; not least, the

Vietnamese for the time being at least seem to have

dropped their insistence on some further financial commitment from Hong Kong on reintegration assistance.

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