CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 2070
OF 101815Z AUGUST 88
НКО 243/8.
RECI
CONFIDENTIAL
INT
*CAUG 1988
Long
64x
153215
MDHOAN 2171
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
AND TO IMMEDIATE PEKING, SINGAPORE, MANILA, JAKARTA, WASHINGTON AND TO IMMEDIATE BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, CANBERRA, OTTAWA, TOKYO AND TO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA, KUALA LUMPUR, EC POSTS
१
3839
MIPT (NOT TO ALL) AND YOUR TELNOS 2290-1: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG: TALKS IN HANOI: BRIEFING MATERIAL
1. WE AGREE THAT IT WOULD BE RIGHT TO GIVE THE ASEAN AND ICG GOVERNMENTS, THE CHINESE AND UNHCR A FULL FACTUAL (REPEAT FACTUAL) BRIEFING ON THE TALKS IN HANOI. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE SHOULD ALL KEEP IN STEP IN OUR ACTION IN HANOI AND ELSEWHERE ON
THE ISSUE OF BOAT PEOPLE. WE SHALL ALSO NEED ACTIVELY TO SEEK THE COOPERATION OF UNHCR AND THE ICG GOVERNMENTS OVER CERTAIN
ASPECTS OF OUR FUTURE STRATEGY.
2.
WE SHOULD ALSO LIKE TO KEEP OUR EC PARTNERS FULLY BRIEFED, AS A BASIS FOR POSSIBLE FURTHER ACTION IN THE POLITICAL
COOPERATION CONTEXT. WE HAVE THEREFORE COPIED TO EC CAPITALS YOUR TELNO 2290. EC POSTS SHOULD TAKE ACTION ACCORDINGLY. WE WILL ALSO BE BRIEFING ASEAN MISSIONS HERE AT THEIR REQUEST ON 15
AUGUST.
3. BUT WE THINK IT WOULD BE PREMATURE TO SHARE TOO FULLY WITH OTHER GOVERNMENTS OUR ASSESSMENT OF THE WAY AHEAD, AT A STAGE WHEN WE HAVE NOT YET FULLY CONSIDERED THIS OURSELVES, LET ALONE SOUGHT THE REACTIONS OF MINISTERS. IN PARTICULAR WE MUST BEAR IN MIND THE NEED TO CONSULT MINISTERS ON THE VERY SENSITIVE
ISSUE OF POSSIBLE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.
4.
POSTS SHOULD THEREFORE DRAW ONLY SELECTIVELY ON TURS IN
BRIEFING HOST GOVERNMENTS, AS FOLLOWS:
(A) YOUR TELNO 2990, PARA 1U (III): AMEND TO READ QUOTE THE
VIETNAMESE REQUEST FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TOWARDS
REPATRIATION UNQUOTE:
(B)
(C)
SAME TELEGRAM, PARA 12: OMIT LAST TWO SENTENCES: (PEKING ONLY) YOUR TELNO 2991: OMIT PARA 1(C).
4.
SEE MIFT (NOT TO ALL) ON ACTION WITH UNHCR.
CHALKER
YYYY
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