3.
RESTRICTED
ON BOAT REFUGEES, HOANG BICH SON HAD EXPRESSED CONFIDENCE THAT THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT COULD CONTROL THE ILLEGAL EXODUS PROVIDED THAT THE RESOURCES FOR
THIS DID NOT HAVE TO BE DIVERTED BECAUSE OF A FURTHER CONFLICT WITH CHINA OR AN INTERNAL CRISIS, HE GAVE A FIGURE OF 60,000 PEOPLE WHOM HE THOUGHT STILL WISHED TO LEAVE VIETNAM. HE SAID THAT THE
PROCESS OF ASSIMILATING PEOPLE IN THE SOUTH INTO
THE NEW REVOLUTIONARY SOCIETY WOULD TAKE 3-5
YEARS.
4. HOANG BICH SON EXPRESSED CONSIDERABLE OPTIMISM
ABOUT NORMALISATION OF RELATIONS WITH THE US FOLLOWING
THE TWO RECENT US CONGRESSIONAL VISITS, HE DID
NOT RAISE THE SUBJECT OF CANADA OPENING AN EMBASSY IN HANOI.
5. MR WENMAN VISITED LANG SON, ONE OF THE BORDER TOWNS
DESTROYED IN THE SI NO-VIETNAMESE WAR. HE SAW
NO MILITARY MOVEMENT IN THE BORDER AREA AND NO
SIGNS THAT LANG SON WAS BEING REBUILT.
6. MR WENMAN ASKED THAT ANY REPORT I MADE FOLLOWING
OUR TALK WITH HIM SHOULD ALSO BE PASSED TO THE
DEPARTMENT OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS AND TO HTHE CANADIAN EMBASSY
IN BANGKOK, GRATEFUL THEREFORE IF OTTAWA AND
BANGKOK COULD TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION WITH REGARD TO
PARAS 2-5 ABOVE.
FCO PASS TO ALL SAVING ADDRESSEES
[REPEATED
AS REQUESTED]
FELL
FILES
SEAD
FS
HK & GD
PS/LPS
UND FED
N AM D
SAD
MAED
EID
PUSD
OTD
NEWS D
PS/MR HURD
PS/MR BLAKER FS/PUS
SIR A DUFF
MR CORTAZZI
MR MURRAY MR STRATTON
LORD NG LENNOX
MR FERGUSSON MR FREIVELL
Doa
RESTRICTED
ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION
BOAT PEOPLE
WE