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PROVING INADEQUATE TO THE TASK. FOR FUNDING REASONS UNHCR MONEY HAS TENDED TO COME THROUGH SOME TIME AFTER THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES HAVE HAD TO ABSORB THE RETURNEES. IT LASTS ONLY A YEAR AND THEY ALLEGE THAT MOST OF IT GOES ON SURVIVAL RATHER THAN REINTEGRATION. SINCE MOST OF THE MONEY GOES TO THE INDIVIDUAL LITTLE IS AVAILABLE TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES. THE EC PROGRAMME IS CRITICISED MORE SEVERELY FOR THE REASONS SET OUT IN HANOI TELNO 7 AND BECAUSE ITS LONGER TERM OBJECTIVES OF TRAINING, CREDIT AND JOB CREATION DO NOT SO FAR GIVE IMMEDIATE PRACTICAL HELP TO ISOLATED COMMUNITIES TO COPE WITH
THE SUDDEN INFLUX OF RETURNEES.
5. THE EC SCHEME HAS ELEMENTS OF REAL VALUE TO VIETNAM, EG THE CREDIT SCHEME (IT HAS INEVITABLY TAKEN TIME TO EDUCATE THE VIETNAMESE IN AN ENTIRELY NEW CONCEPT FOR BOTH BANKS AND BORROWERS). WE SUSPECT THE EC PROGRAMME IS DOING RATHER BETTER THAN THE VIETNAMES THINK. NONETHELESS THE PROGRZMME HAS NOT SO FAR LIVED UP TO ITS ADVANCE BILLING AND IS BESET BY PERSONNEL PROBLEMS. WE ALSO HEAR THE ARGUMENT THAT AS LONG AS VIETNAM REMAINS STARVED OF DEVELOPMENT AID IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO ASSURE STABLE REINTEGRATION. THEY SAY THERE ARE REPORTS OF A NEW EXUDUS FROM SOUTH VIETNAM AIMING FOR MORE DISTANT PARTS LIKE AUSTRALIA IN LARGER BOATS AND THAT SOME RECENT RETURNEES MAY BE INVOLVED. AGAINST THIS WE MUST SET THE IMPRESSIONS GAINED BY THE MINISTER ON OUR TRIP TO QUANG NINH PROVINCE THAT THERE IS A GREAT DEAL OF INTERNAL MIGRATION AT PRESENT AND THAT RETURNING VBPS ARE BETTER OFF THAN MANY OTHER GROUPS NEEDING SUPPORT FROM THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES.
6. THE VIETNAMESE HAVE PARTICULARLY SET THEIR SIGHTS THEREFORE ON OBTAINING INCREASED MONEY FROM HONG KONG. THE FOREIGN MINISTRY BRIEFED JOURNALISTS TO THIS EFFECT DURING WEDNESDAY'S TALKS BUT, AFTER PROTESTS FROM US, LATER ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THIS HAD BEEN A MISTAKEN TACTIC. THEY ARGUE THAT SPEEDY REPATRIATION OVER TWO OR THREE YEARS WILL GREATLY REDUCE THE COSTS TO HONG KONG OF KEEPING THE SCREDNED OUT IN THE CAMPS FOR SEVERAL YEARS LONGER AND THAT HONG KONG OUGHT TO BE PREPARED TO DIVERT AT LEAST PART OF THE PROSPECTIVE SAVINGS TO VIETNAM IN ORDER TO FUND THE LOCAL EFFORTS WHICH WILL ALLOW THE MORE FREQUENT FLIGHTS NEEDED TO REDUCE THE CAMP POPULATION RAPIDLY.
7. SO FAR WE HAVE RESISTED THIS BLACKMAIL. WE HAVEE RESPONDED THAT IT IS POLITICALLY UNREALISTIC TO EXPECT HONG KONG TO PROVIDE MOR
E
MONEY AS LONG AS THE CAMP POPULATION REMAINS HIGH AND UNHCR FAILS
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