RESTRICTED
FM HANOI
TELNO 259
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
OF 110955Z JULY 88
RESTRICTED
нко 24318
RE
AY
11 JUL 1988
INDO
FICEK
PA
* Taken
486
041162
MDHIAN 6707
TOP COPY O DIOT ?
INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA
INFO ROUTINE BANGKOK, KUALA LUMPUR, SINGAPORE, JAKARTA, MANILA INFO ROUTINE BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, WASHINGTON, CANBERRA, OTTAWA INFO ROUTINE TOKYO, PEKING
FCO TELNO 161 OF 8 JULY: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG
678
1. THIS AFTERNOON I SPOKE TO HOANG QUOC TIN ALONG THE LINES OF
TUR. I GAVE TIN THE NAMES OF CLIFT AND COLVIN AND SAID THAT
MAYBE TWO MORE OFFICIALS FROM HONG KONG WILL COME. TIN THANKED
ME FOR THE PROMPTNESS AND POSITIVENESS OF OUR RESPONSE. THIS WEEK VU KHOAN, ASSISTANT MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, WHO WILL LEAD THE VIETNAMESE SIDE IS OUT OF TOWN AND A UNHCR DELEGATION IS
COMING FROM 20-22 JULY (PLEASE NOTE CONTRAST WITH UKMIS GENEVA'S 382 OF 8 JULY). TIN THEREFORE SUGGESTED THAT OUR TALKS SHOULD
HAPPEN BEFORE 20TH OR AFTER 22ND AND HE WILL REVERT WHEN HE
HAS BEEN ABLE TO CONSULT KHOAN. TIN ADDED THAT HE ENVISAGED ONE
DAY OF TALKS TO SETTLE THE MAIN PRINCIPALS FOLLOWED BY TALKS AT A
LATER STAGE AT EXPERT LEVEL.
2. I TACKLED TIN ABOUT PUBLICITY FOR HONG KONG'S CHANGE IN POLICY
ALONG THE LINES OF HONG KONG'S TELNO 2603 OF 7 JULY. TIN SAID
THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD RECENTLY STRESSED IN THE MEDIA THAT
ILLEGAL DEPARTEES WOULD BE PUNISHED IF CAUGHT AND HAD TAKEN OTHER
STEPS TO DISCOURAGE DEPARTURES. HOWEVER IT WOULD NOT BE APPROPIATE
TO PUBLICISE ANOTHER GOVERNMENT'S POLICIES. IN ANY CASE HE WAS SURE
THAT ALL VIETNAMESE THINKING OF ESCAPING TO HONG KONG WOULD SOON
GET THE MESSAGE ABOUT THE SITUATION THERE FROM LISTENING TO
FOREIGN RADIO BROADCASTS. I MENTIONED THE ENCLOSURES IN LETTERS
HOME FROM HONG KONG. FINALLY TIN SAID THAT MANY PEOPLE WERE CLEARLY SO DESPERATE THAT MEASURES SUCH AS SCREENING WOULD NOT
DETER THEM FROM HEADING FOR HONG KONG. WE LEFT IT THAT THIS IS
SURELY A TOPIC YOU WILL WISH TO RAISE DURING THE TALKS.
3. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE MALAYSIANS HAVE A PREVIOUSLY ARRANGED
VISIT BY THEIR FOREIGN MINISTER SCHEDULED FOR EARLY AUGUST AND THAT THEY WILL REGARD THIS AS THEIR RESPONSE TO THE VIETNAMESE