CONFIDENTIAL
PRIORITY
this stage. They will clutch at any straw which lets them off
the hook. On this issue, the Kuala Lumpur meeting effectively
saw the remarkable line-up of the rest versus Vietnam and USA
with some support from the Commission. The fact is, of course,
that we do not need to address the voluntary/involuntary
distinction at this stage because we agreed with the Vietnamese
to make a start with the phased return of volunteers.
2. As reported in para 7 of Kuala Lumpur TUR, the Commission
said (as they did at an earlier meeting in this series in
Bangkok) that they would contribute to repatriation assistance,
but for volunteers only. The Commission have now insisted on
making this unwelcome distinction on a number of occasions.
Cheysson made it during his recent visit to Vietnam. This
willful persistence bears the hallmark of a personal Cheysson
policy. It may be made with humanitarian intentions or, more
Likely with an eye to the
exp triate Vietnamese lobby in France.
Either way, it is misguided and unnecessary.
3. If, as we assume, the policy is Cheysson's, there seems
little point in expending powder and shot in trying to change it
before he goes in January. But we should Like to prepare the
future Commission
inc ti оп
in
a way that is
ground and try to ensure that any
pronouncements gloss over the dis
helpful. We should therefore be grateful if you could approach
4WG оп 13 January. We are
We
could
DGI soon.
OLLOW up at the
faxing a test of points hich could
W
serve
as
an
aide-memoire.
HOWE
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG LTD