a port
made
by SEAD
HONG KONG REFUGEES
I REMINDED CO THACH OF HIS CONVERSATION WITH MY PREDECESSOR ON THIS SUBJECT IN SEPTEMBER AND SAID THAT THERE WAS NO SIGN OF ANY EASING OF THE PROBLEM SINCE THEN: REFUGEES WERE STILL REACHING NONG KONG AND RESETTLEMENT ELSEWHERE REMAINED EXTREMELY SLOW. CO THACH REITERATED VIETNAMESE READINESS FOR DISCUSSIONS AT EITHER WORKING OR MORE SENIOR LEVEL. I REPLIED THAT THIS POSSIBILITY WAS STILL BEING CONSIDERED IN LONDON.
5. 1 EMPHASISED OUR CONTINUING INTEREST IN THE SUCCESS OF THE ORDERLY DEPARTURE PROGRAMME AND THE NEED TO HASTEN DEPARTURES UNDER THE EXISTING UNHCR ARRANGEMENTS. CO THACH CONCURRED: VIETNAM WOULD DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO COOPERATE WHILE CONTINUING TO DISCOURAGE ILLEGAL EMIGRATION. ALL REFUGEES LEAVING VIETNAM MUST BE PROCESSED THROUGH THE ODP. I THEN ASKED HOW HE SAW THE IMPACT OF HONG KONG'S CURRENT CLOSED CAMP POLICY, AND DECLINING RESETTLEMENT PROSPECTS, ON THE OUTFLOW OF BOAT PEOPLE. CO THACH SAID THAT CLOSED CAMPS UNDOUBTEDLY ACTED AS A DETERRENT. WHEN I WENT ON TO ENQUIRE HOW THE VIETNAMESE WOULD REGARD REFUGEES WHO WISHED TO RETURN TO VIETNAM, CO THACH REPLIED THAT SUCH PEOPLE SHBULD BE PUNISHED'' IF NOT, THE ILLEGAL OUTFLOW TO HONG KONG WOULD BECOME A FORM OF TOURISM: BOAT PEOPLE WOULD LEAVE VIETNAM WITH THE AIM OF TRYING THEIR LUCK IN HONG KONG. IF THEY FAILED TO FIND WORK, OR TO BE ACCEPTED FOP SETTLEMENT ELSEWHERE, THEY COULD ALWAYS RETURN WITH NOTHING LOST. THIS WOULD ONLY HELP TO INCREASE THE OVERALL FLOW OF ILLEGAL EMIGRANTS, (MINDFUL OF THE INSTRUCTIONS I PARAGRAPH 5 OF FCO TELEGRAM NO 9 OF 10 JANUARY, NOT REPEATED TO ALL, I DID NOT PRESS CO THACH FURTHER ON THIS ASPECT).
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INTERNATIONAL: A) CAMBODIA
6. CO THACH REFERRED ONLY BRIEFLY TO CAMBODIA: THE POSITION THERE WAS NOW 'GOOD' : THE PRESENCE OF VIETNAMESE TROOPS WAS ONLY TEMPORAPY: VIETNAM WISHED TO WITHDRAW HER FORCES BUT COULD NOT DO SO WHILE THE CHINESE THREAT PERSISTED. ASKED ABOUT ELECTIONS, HE REITERATED VIETNAMESE SUPPORT FOR HUN SEN'S STATEMENT LAST SEPTEMBER. VIETNAM'S CONTINUED INVOLVEMENT IN CAMBODIA OF COURSE INTENSIFIED HER ECONOMIC PROBLEMS. BUT SHE HAD SURVIVED THE MOST PERILOUS YEARS, 1979 AND 1920. DIFFICULTIES PERSISTED YET VIETNAM COULD ENDURE ÉQUALITY OF POVERTY' AND WOULD SOON BE SELF-SUFFICIENT IN FOOD. MANY IN THE WEST HAD THE ILLSUSION THAT VIETNAM WAS GOING TO COLLAPSE UNDER ECONOMIC PRESSURE. BUT THEY HAD THEIR ANSWER NOW.
D) INDO-CHINESE SUMMIT
CO THACH SAID THAT NO FINAL DECISION HAD BEEN MADE ON THE DATE OF THE SUMMIT. BUT IT WOULD PROBABLY TAKE PLACE IN EARLY MARCH. I SHOULD DISCOUNT RUMOURS THAT THE CREATION OF A NEW INDO-CHINESE FEDERATION WOULD BE ANNOUNCED AT THE SUMMIT. FEDERATVMN WAS A FRENCH COLONIAL CONCEPT WHICH NOW DELONGED TO HISTORY'.
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