RESTRICTED
FM HANOI
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 2
OF 120345Z
HUD 2438
ния
RESTRICTED
FEB 1988
26
064465
MDHIAN 7463
FEBRUARY 88
INFO IMMEDIATE FCO
INFO ROUTINE BANGKOK, PEKING
MY TELNO IMMIG 4 : DETAINED FISHERMEN
Get JM Stater
+Ccc to
V17 Repatriation file
I CALLED THIS MORNING ON PHUONG VAN THUY, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF CONSULAR DEPARTMENT MFA, TO RAISE THE CASES OF THE DETAINED FISHERMEN, THE INCIDENT OFF TUNE HIM SHA AND THE FIVE VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION CASES ( YOUR TELNO 482 TO FCO).
2. ON THE DETAINED FISHERMEN, HE SAID THAT THE CASE WAS NOW
BEFORE THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS AND HE HOPED VERY MUCH THAT
IT COULD BE DEALT WITH BEFORE THE END OF FEBRUARY. IT WAS THE
MFA'S VIEWS THAT THE FISHERMEN HAD STRAYED UNINTENTIONALLY
INTO VIETNAMESE WATERS, AND IT HAD THEREFORE PROPOSED TO THE
COUNCIL THAT THEY AND THEIR BOATS SHOULD BE RELEASED. HE HANDED
ME FOURTEEN LETTERS FOR ONWARD TRANSMISSION TO THE FISHERMEN'S FAMILIES.THESE WILL LEAVE BY BAG TO BANGKOK ON 17 FEBRUARY.
3. I PUSHED THUY IN THE HOPE OF ACHIEVING EARLIER RELEASES, BUT HE MADE IT CLEAR THAT THERE WAS NOTHING HE COULD DO TO HURRY
MATTERS NOW THAT THE FILE WAS BEFORE THE COUNCIL. ALTHOUGH
THE BOATS MAYBE RELEASED. IT SEEMS LIKELY THAT A FINE WILL BE
IMPOSED.
(para NB)
4. ON THE SHOOTING INCIDENT, THEY SAID THAT ENQUIRIES HAD BEEN MADE
OF THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES CONCERNED : THESE HAD DENIED ANY
KNOWLEDGE OF IT. HE COMMENTED THAT THE AREA WAS OF COURSE IN
DISPUTE AND THE SITUATION DIFFICULT. I EXPRESSED DISAPPOINTMENT.
5. ON THIS ISSUE I AM RELUCTANTLY DRAWN TO THE CONCLUSION THAT WE
WILL NOT ACHIEVE ANYTHING OF SUBSTANCE. WE CAN CERTAINLY REVERT
TO IT AGAIN IN FUTURE, FOR THE RECORD AND AS A MATTER OF PRINCIPLE BUT I WOULD NOT WISH TO SOUR RELATIONS WITH CONSULAR DEPARTMENT BY MAKING TOO MUCH OF IT, WHEN WE ARE SEEKING THEIR COOPERATION
ON OTHER MATTERS.
1 THOUGHT
I WAS UNABLE TO CHECK WITH THE UNHCR BEFORE DOING SO, BUT I
THOUGHT I WOULD NOT LET SLIP AN OBVIOUS OPPORTUNITY TO RAISE THE
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