CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 2718
CONFIDENTIAL
HKD 243/8
REC
MISTRY
14 JUL 1988
OFFICER
TOP ADV Q DOT 7
INDEX
PA
52+
053613
MDHIAN 7170
OF 14120OZ JULY 88
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, UKMIS GENEVA INFO PRIORITY BANGKOK, HANOI, KUALA LUMPUR, SINGAPORE, JAKARTA INFO PRIORITY MANILA, BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
S10
$14
BANGKOK TELNO 469 AND OUR TELNO 270T: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE
IN VIEW OF THAI CONCERN (FIRST TUR) IT MAY BE HELPFUL TO CLARIFY OUR ATTITUDE TO SEEKING A SOLUTION TO THE REFUGEE PROBLEM ON A REGIONAL RATHER THAN A BILATERAL BASIS.
2.
OUR VIEW IS THAT, HAVING BEEN INVITED BY THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT TO HAVE TALKS IN A BILATERAL BASIS, WE SHOULD PROCEED. ON THAT BASIS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. WE RECOGNISE THAT UNHCR ARE SEEKING A MORE GENERAL APPROACH INVOLVING ASEAN COOPERATION IN AN INTERNATIONALLY AGREED STRATEGY. WE DO NOT SEE THE TWO APPROACHES AS BEING IN CONFLICT. THEY SHOULD COMPLIMENT EACH OTHER.
3. AS IT HAPPENS IT WILL NOT NOW BE POSSIBLE FOR OUR BILATERAL TALKS WITH THE VIETNAMESE, WHICH WE HAVE STRESSED WE SEE AS PRELIMINARY AND EXPLORATORY, TO BE HELD BEFORE THE UNHCR TALKS IN HANOI ON 20 23 JULY. WE WILL ALSO NOW BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE UNHCR SPONSORED MEETING IN BANGKON ON 18/19 JULY. BUT WE WOULD NOT WANT OUR OWN NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE VIETNAMESE TO BE HELD UP WHILE AN OVERALL REGIONAL STRATEGY IS BEING WORKED OUT.
4.
ACCORDINGLY THE LINE WE PROPOSE TO TAKE IN THE UNHCR SPONSORED
MEETING IN BANGKOK IS:
A.
WE WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY OF EXCHANGING VIEWS FURTHER WITH UNHCR AND ASEAN COUNTRIES ABOUT THE VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE ISSUE AND POSSIBLE CHANGING VIETNAMESE ATTITUDES TO IT.
B. WE ARE PREPARED TO EXPLAIN THE PROCEDURES AND CRITERIA FOR OUR SCREENING POLICY.
C.
WE WILL BE PURSUING TALKS WITH THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES BILATERALLY AT THEIR (LAST WORD UNDERLINED) INVITATION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO SEEK AN EARLY RESOLUTION OF THE PROBLEMS
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