HED 243/8
CONFIDENTIAL
MAR 1988
58
014564
MDLIAN 4889
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 1202
OF 240745Z MARCH 88
INFO ROUTINE UKMIS GENEVAL, KUALA LUMPUR, JAKARTA, MANILA INFO ROUTINE BANGKOK, HANOI,
SINGAPORE
HONG KONG TELNO 4 : VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
(MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE)
CONTACTS WITH ASEAN
MALAYSIA
SUMMARY
MALAYSIAN OFFICIALS SUPPORT THE IDEA OF SEEKING A COMMON REGIONAL APPROACH TO THE PROBLEM AND CONSIDER THAT DRASTIC MEASURES ARE
CALLED FOR.
DETAIL
·
2. ACCOMPANIED BY MS CORNER FIRST SECRETARY, BRITISH HIGH COMMISSION, KUALA LUMPUR, FRENCH MET THE DIRECTOR, MAJOR GENERAL DATO' OSMAN, AND SENIOR OFFICIALS OF MALAYSIA'S TASK FORCE VII AND ENCIK RASTAM, PRINCIPAL ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR PLANNING, INISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ON 21 MARCH. HE BRIEFED THEM ON
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN HONG KONG AND IN THAILAND AND THE BACKGROUND TO THEM. HE ALSO MENTIONED THE THAIS' SUPPORT FOR A COMMON REGIONAL APPROACH AND THEIR PROPOSAL TO HOLD A REGIONAL SEMINAR ON THE ISSUE
AT THE END OF MAY.
3. BOTH DATO' OSMAN AND ENCIK RASTAM SAID THAT MALAYSIA HAD NOT
(NOT) SO FAR BEEN AFFECTED BY THAILAND'S RECENT CHANGE OF POLIYC TOWARDS VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE. BUT THEY EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT A POSSIBLE FUTURE INFLUX OF REFUGEES REDIRECTED FROM THAILAND.
THEY WELCOMED THE IDEA OF SEEKING AGREEMENT ON A COMMON REGIONAL APPROACH TO THE PROBLEM AND THOUGHT THAT THE PROPOSED CONFERENCE IN THAILAND AT THE END OF MAY WOULD BE A MOST TIMELY MOVE IN THIS DIRECTION CAND A MEANS OF AVOIDING THE POSSIBLE UNDESIRABLE EFFECTS OF SOME FIRST ASYLUM COUNTRIES ACTING IN ISOLATION AT THE
EXPENSE OF OTHERS).
4. THE MALAYSIAN OFFICIALS CLEARLY FELT THAT, ALTHOUGH THE SITUATION IN MALAYSIA WAS STILL MANAGEABLE (THERE HAVING BEEN NO SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THEIR CAMP POPULATION DURING THE LAST 5 6 YEARS) THERE WAS NO (NO) PROSPECT FOR IMPROVEMENT, IN THE SHORT TO
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