CONFIDENTIAL
HKD 243/8
RECEIV
508
047426
MDHOAN 0250
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 1859
OF 12150OZ JULY 88
INFO IMMEDIATE HANOI
12 JUL 1988
CER
PA
Lowr
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INFO PRIORITY SINGAPORE, MANILA, JAKARTA, BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN INFO PRIORITY WASHINGTON, CANBERRA, OTTAWA, TOKYO, PEKING INFO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA, KUALA LUMPUR
YOUR TELNO 2658 : VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG : STRATEGY FOR TALKS IN HANOI
1.
OUR APPROACH TO THESE TALKS IS ONE OF CONSIDERABLE CAUTION AND NOT A LITTLE SCEPTICISM. WE WELCOME VIETNAMESE READINESS TO OPEN A DIALOGUE ON REPATRIATION. BUT WE REMAIN DOUBTFUL ABOUT THE MOTIVES BEHIND THIS INITIATIVE AND ARE UNCLEAR ABOUT WHERE IT CAN LEAD. WE SHALL THEREFORE NEED TO MAINTAIN OUR GUARD, PARTICULARLY IN THIS INITIAL ROUND OF EXPLORATORY EXCHANGES.
OUR OBJECTIVES FOR THIS MEETING CORRESPOND CLOSELY TO YOURS. AS WE SEE IT, OUR AIMS SHOULD BE:
2.
(A) TO MAKE IT CLEAR TO THE VIETNAMESE THAT THE PROBLEM OF THE ILLEGAL DEPARTURE OF THEIR CITIZENS IS ONE OF THEIR OWN MAKING, FOR WHICH THEY MUST ASSUME FULL RESPONSIBILITY:
(B) TO EMPHASIZE THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE PROBLEMS THEY ARE CREATING FOR HONG KONG AND THE WIDER IMPLICATIONS FOR VIETNAM'S STANDING IN THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.
(C) TO IMPRESS UPON VIETNAMESE THE THE NEED FOR ACTION BY THEM TO STOP THE OUT-FLOW AND TO SECURE IF POSSIBLE THEIR AGREEMENT TO SPECIFIC MEASURES TO DISCOURAGE ILLEGAL DEPARTURES:
(D) TO EMPHASISE THAT, FOR THOSE VIETNAMESE ECONOMIC MIGRANTS NOW DETAINED IN HONG KONG AFTER SCREENING, THE ONLY FUTURE LIES IN
VIETNAM THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY WILL BE LOOKING TO VIETNAM TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS TO TAKE BACK ITS OWN CITIZENS:
(E) AS FAR AS POSSIBLE TO KEEP THE DISCUSSION WITHIN THIS FRAMEWORK AND TO FOCUS ON PRACTICALITIES:
(F) WHILE NOT EXCLUDING THE POSSIBILITY OF SOME FORM OF AID CHANNELLED THROUGH UNHCR, TO ASSIST THE REINTEGRATION OF THOSE WHO ARE REPATRIATED TO VIETNAM, TO KEEP DISCUSSION OF AID ON THE SIDELINES AT THIS STAGE SEMI COLON AND TO AVOID DISCUSSING AMOUNTS.
THE OBJECTIVES OF THE VIETNAMESE IN THESE TALKS ARE LIKELY IN SOME RESPECTS TO BE THE MIRROR IMAGE OF OUR OWN. WE WOULD NOT EXCLUDE THE POSSIBILITY THAT THIS INITIATIVE FORMS PART OF A
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