CAB128-94_A1b — Page 241

g. Although the present Vietnamese Government was one of the remaining unreconstructed Communist

NFIDENTIAL

administrations, it should be possible for Britain to take a robust attitude on aid. On the other hand it was important not to encourage the Vietnamese to draw the moral that, by facilitating the boat people, they could attract more aid. Normal development assistance and reintegration aid to areas where many clandestine departures took place were preferable to increased direct payments to individual returnees. The Vietnamese Government had solid economic reasons for not

treating the returned groups of refugees, and this bint should continue to be brought home to them.

point

h. Vietnam had a population of nearly 66 million. If the Vietnamese government continued to permit the clandes emigration of the boat people, and no action was taken by Hong Kong, the flood would increase.

A key objective or present policy was to discourage further waves of imants by sending an appropriate signal to Hanoi of the itish Government's determination.

1. The major the immigrants came from rural populations in No Vietnam. They were quite distinct from the earliery Chinese, refugees who had fled for political reasons The latest immigrants had a much lower standard of equation and lacked professional skills. This distintas often blurred by the media.

N

THE PRIME MINISTER, summing the discussion, said that the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary should institute Segetary should institute further urgent action over the periation of the 1,700 volunteers and the onward movement of the 13,000 Vietnamese of the 13,000 Vietnamese who had already been designated b fide refugees and were awaiting resettlement. United States criticism of Britain's policy on repatriation should be rebutted as necessary. Consideration should be given to protesting to China about the help which it gave to Vietraese boat people in transit. Further action should be taken to encourage the leading figures in Hong Kongye overwhelmingly supported the policy, to express these views in public.

The Cabinet -

Took note, with approval, of the Prime Minister's summing up of their discussion and invited the Foreg and Commonwealth Secretary to be guided accordingly.

Page 241

}

NFIDENTIAL

6

Page 241

CONFIDENTIAL