CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE F C O
TELNO 189
OF 21104OZ
JANUARY 92
CONFIDENTIAL
12
HKA 020 /14
020316
MDHIAN 0016
стр
INFO IMMEDIATE HANOI
INFO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON, UKREP BRUSSELS
MY TELNO 123, AND HANOI TELNO 49: VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS: ORP II AND FINANCE
I HAVE TAKEN SOME INITIAL SOUNDINGS IN EXCO TODAY (21
JANUARY) ON THE POSSIBILITY OF SOME FORM OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FROM HONG KONG FOR THE REINTEGRATION OF RETURNEES. IN PRESENTING THIS TO EXCO, WE EXPLAINED THAT THE VIETNAMESE HAD INDICATED DURING LORD CAITHNESS'S VISIT THAT THEY WERE COMMITTED TO THE SUCCESS OF BOTH THE ORDERLY AND VOLUNTARY PROGRAMMES, BUT THAT REINTEGRATION PROBLEMS WERE LIMITING TO THE EXTENT TO WHICH EITHER COULD BE DEVELOPED. THEY HAD REFERRED SPECIFICALLY TO THE SAVINGS WHICH HONG KONG WOULD ACHIEVE BY A PROGRAMME WHICH CLEARED THE CAMPS COMPLETELY IN THREE YEARS, AND WERE THEREFORE LOOKING FOR SOME SORT OF ASSISTANCE FROM US. WE EXPLAINED THAT LORD CAITHNESS HAD GIVEN NO/NO COMMITMENT ON THIS AND HAD DONE MUCH GENTLY TO LOWER VIETNAMESE EXPECTATIONS. BUT THERE WAS A RISK THAT THE ORP II AGREEMENT WOULD NOT/NOT BE SIGNED, AND VOLUNTARY RETURN THEREFORE START TO STALL, OR AT BEST NOT/NOT MOVE MUCH BEYOND 1000 RETURNS A MONTH, WITHOUT SOME FURTHER GESTURE FROM UK/HK TOWARDS THE REINTEGRATION PROBLEMS WHICH THE VIETNAMESE FELT THEY FACED. I THEN ASKED NON-OFFICIAL MEMBERS FOR
THEIR ASSESSMENT OF THE LEGCO REACTION TO A PROPOSAL FOR SOME SORT OF ASSISTANCE FROM HONG KONG.
3.
MEMBERS FELT THAT SUCH A PROPOSAL WOULD NOT/NOT BE SALEABLE AT THE MOMENT. WE SHOULD NOT/NOT BE SEEN TO BE PAYING IN ADVANCE FOR A START ON ORP II, WHICH WAS PART OF THE AGREEMENT REACHED LAST OCTOBER. IN ANY CASE, THE ORP WAS NOT/NOT FULLY IN PLACE, THE BURDEN OF THE CAMPS WAS STILL TOO GREAT, AND REPATRIATION AS A WHOLE HAD YET TO ACHIEVE A PERCEPTIBLE MAJOR REDUCTION IN THE SIZE OF THE BURDEN. WE WOULD NEED ORP II WORKING WELL, AND THE VOLUNTARY SCHEME MAINTAINING MOMENTUM FOR SEVERAL MONTHS, FOR SUCH A PROPOSAL TO SECURE SUFFICIENT SUPPORT TO PASS LEGCO.
4.
MEMBERS GENERALLY FELT, HOWEVER, THAT AT A LATER STAGE LEGCO
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CONFIDENTIAL
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