CONFIDENTIAL
665
173423
MDHIAN 0676
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 3085
OF 181015Z AUGUST 88
чко 243/8
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
1 8 AUG 1988
122(
Jun 19/8 S При
TOP COPY
Q DIUT D
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: MEETING WITH OMELCO AD HOC GROUP ON 18 AUGUST
1. AT THE REQUEST OF THE OMELCO AD HOC GROUP, S FOR S (UPTON) MET SIX LEGCO MEMBERS (YEUNG PO-KWAN IN THE CHAIR IN THE ABSENCE OF RITA FAN)
TO DISCUSS:
(I) THE TALKS IN HANOI
(II) DEVELOPMENT OF THE WHITEHEAD SITE AS A NEW DETENTION
CENTRE
(III) PROGRESS ON NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE UNHCR OVER THE COST OF
REFUGEE CAMPS.
TALKS IN HANOI
2. WE BRIEFED MEMBERS ON THE OUTCOME OF THE FIRST ROUND OF TALKS WITH
THE VIETNAMESE DRAWING ON THE MATERIAL IN OUR TELNO 2990 BUT TAKING
INTO ACCOUNT YOUR VIEWS AS SET OUT IN YOUR TELNO 2070. WE ALSO
REPEATED THE POINTS COVERED IN THE JOINT COMMUNIQUE.
3. MEMBERS FOCUSSED ON THE QUESTION OF AID BUT HAD FEW NEW IDEAS TO
OFFER. WE MADE THE STANDARD RESPONSE ON THE UK'S POSITION ON AID
TO VIETNAM AND WE WERE NOT PRESSED TO COMMENT ON THE IDEA OF
REINTEGRATION ASSISTANCE VIA THE UNHCR. WE WERE ASKED THE DATE AND
VENUE FOR THE NEXT ROUND BUT WE EXPLAINED THAT NO DECISIONS HAD BEEN MADE. (YEUNG INTERESTINGLY, PUT FORWARD THE IDEA OF LONDON AS THE VENUE, NOTING THAT THIS WOULD BE SEEN AS A SIGN OF BRITISH COMMITMENT). MEMBERS THEMSELVES URGED THAT OUR APPROACH TO THE NEXT
ROUND SHOULD BE COLOURED BY EVIDENCE OF VIETNAMESE EFFORTS TO STEM
THE OUTFLOW TO HONG KONG.
4. WE WERE ALSO ASKED ABOUT THE RECENT CASES OF VOLUNTARY
REPATRIATION AND WE REPLIED WITH A FACTUAL ACCOUNT ON THE REQUESTS
AND THE UNHCR CHANNEL FOR RETURNING SUCH PEOPLE. MEMBERS THOUGHT
THAT EARLY UNHCR ACTION ON THESE REQUEST WOULD BE A USEFUL FIRST
STEP TOWARDS LARGE SCALE REPATRIATION.
DEVELOPMENT AT WHITEHEAD
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