CONFIDENTIAL
HKD 243/8
RECE
VERY
12 JUL 1988
FFICER
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
INDE.
TO DESKBY 121300Z FCO
TELNO 2680
OF 12123OZ JULY 88
PA
DIST ?
498
044512
MDHIAN 6849
AND TO IMMEDIATE HANOI, UKMIS GENEVA, BANGKOK, KUALA LUMPUR AND TO IMMEDIATE SINGAPORE, JAKARTA, MANILA, BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN AND TO IMMEDIATE WASHINGTON, CANBERRA, OTTAWA, TOKYO, PEKING
491
HANOI TELNO 37 AND UKMIS GENEVA TELNO 385 : VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE:
TALKS WITH VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT.
1. IT IS HELPFUL THAT THE INITIAL VIETNAMESE RESPONSE SHOWS
APPRECIATION OF THE NEED FOR EARLY TALKS. FROM THE HONG KONG POINT
OF VIEW WE WOULD MUCH PREFER TO HAVE OUR ROUND WITH THE VIETNAMESE ON
18-20 JULY RATHER THAN WAIT UNTIL AFTER THE 22 JULY. THERE IS AN
IMPORTANT POLITICAL ARGUMENT FOR EARLY ACTION AND OUR MESSAGE OF
DETERRENCE WOULD BE BOOSTED IF WE WERE SEEN TO BE HAVING TALKS QUICKLY.
2. THERE IS HOWEVER A PROBLEM WITH FLIGHTS. WE HAVE MADE CONTINGENCY
ANONYMOUS BOOKINGS BETWEEN BANGKOK AND HANOI BUT ARE ONLY WAIT- LISTED ON VN834 TO HANOI ON MONDAY, 18 JULY, ALTHOUGH WE HAVE FIRM BOOKINGS ON TG683 TO BANGKOK ON 20 JULY. IF THE VIETNAMESE MFA
CAN AGREE TO EARLY TALKS WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL IF THEY CAN HELP WITH
GETTING US DEFINITELY ON THE MONDAY FLIGHT.
3. DEPENDING ON WHETHER TALKS CAN BE HELD NEXT WEEK OR NOT WE NEED
TO CONSIDER HOW TO TIE IN OUR VISIT WITH THE VARIOUS MEETINGS PLANNED BY UNHCR AND THE ASEAN COUNTRIES (2ND TUR). WE HAVE NOW RECEIVED AN ORAL INVITATION FROM THE UNHCR TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PRELIMINARY MEETING IN BANGKOK ON 18 JULY.
THE AGENDA WOULD INCLUDE:
(A) REGION-WIDE SCREENING PROCEDURES:
(B) MODALITIES FOR REPATRIATION OF SCREENED OUT:
(C) POSSIBLE FUTURE REGIONAL CONFERENCE:
(D) POSSIBLE FUTURE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE.
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