UNCLASSIFIED
100365 MDHIAN 3702
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A: WELL, THE SIMPLE REASON IS I KNOW IT SOUNDS UNBELIEVABLE BUT SOMETIMES THE UNBELIEVABLE HAPPENS I THINK, PRESUMABLY, WHAT HAPPENED WAS THAT SOMEBODY WAS RUNG UP IN THE PRESS OFFICE IN THE FOREIGN OFFICE IN LONDON, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, AND QUITE ACCIDENTALLY, AND I MAKE NO APOLOGY FOR IT. WELL, I REALLY DO APOLOGISE, WHAT ELSE ONE CAN SAY HE GAVE A BIT OF OUT-OF-DATE INFORMATION. WHY HE GAVE IT, I SIMPLY DON'T KNOW. I WISH HE HADN'T DONE IT IT WOULD MAKE MY LIFE A LOT EASIER IF HE HADN'T.
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Q. (MARGARET NG): BUT IT CAN'T POSSIBLY BE OUT-OF-DATE IF YOU HAVE BEEN MAKING CONTINUING CONTACT I MEAN, AT ANY ONE POINT, THE ANSWER WOULD BE 'YES'. IT CAN'T POSSIBLY BE 'NO'.
A:
Q.
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WELL, CONTINUING CONTACTS MEANS EXACTLY WHAT IT SAYS.
(MARGARET NG): SO HOW CAN THE ANSWER BE 'NO' TO A QUESTION OF WHETHER YOU HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT ON
REFUGEES?
A: WELL, I MEAN, I AM NOT TRYING TO BE EVASIVE, PERHAPS I AM MISUNDERSTANDING THE POINT YOU ARE TRYING TO RAISE. THERE HAVE BEEN EXPRESSIONS OF CONCERN MADE RECENTLY HERE AND THAT IS WHY WE, IN RESPONSE TO THOSE EXPRESSIONS, WE HAVE INTENSIFIED OUR CONTACTS BUT THE CONTACTS THAT HAVE INTENSIFIED ARE CONTACTS THAT HAVE BEEN GOING ON FOR A LONG, LONG TIME.
(MARGARET NG): LIKE THREE YEARS, OR TWO MONTHS OR FIVE MONTHS? WHAT SORT OF TIMING ARE WE TALKING ABOUT?
Q.
A:
I CAN'T GIVE A PARTICULAR TIME BUT, I MEAN, IT IS NOT TO BE SUPPOSED FOR A MOMENT THAT WE DON'T HAVE REGULAR CONTACTS THROUGH OUR AMBASSADOR IN VIETNAM WITH THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT, SO IT IS CERTAINLY NOT MONTHS, IT IS MUCH MORE THAN THAT.
Q. (KENNETH MAK, MING PAO): YOU HAVE TALKED ABOUT CONTINUOUS PRESSURE ON THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT. BESIDES CONTINUING CONTACT, WHAT ARE THOSE PRESSURES?
A: SORRY. CAN YOU EXPLAIN YOURSELF? WHAT PRESSURES, WHO?
Q.
(KENNETH MAK): WELL, YOU HAVE TALKED ABOUT CONTINUING PRESSURE ON THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT, AND BESIDES CONTINUING CONTACT WHAT ARE THE CONCRETE SIGNS OF THE PRESSURE YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT?
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