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CONFIDENTIAL
638
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 2990
OF 10110OZ AUGUST 88
MKD 243/8
RECTA
10 AUG 1988
Oms
151736
MDHIAN 9963
TOP COPY Q DIST 7
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, SINGAPORE, MANILA, JAKARTA, WASHINGTON INFO IMMEDIATE BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, CANBERRA, OTTAWA, TOKYO INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA, KUALA LUMPUR
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG:
TALKS IN HANOI: BRIEFING MATERIAL
IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF EMBASSIES COULD BE ASKED TO BRIEF THEIR
HOST GOVERNMENTS ON THE RECENT TALKS IN HANOI DRAWING ON THE FOLLOW-
ING ACCOUNT BY THE JOINT HMG/HKG DELEGATION:
2. WE MET VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS IN HANOI ON 3 4 AUGUST TO DISCUSS
POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEM OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG
KONG. THE DISCUSSIONS WERE CONDUCTED IN AN OPEN AND FRIENDLY MANNER AND ALTHOUGH THIS FIRST ROUND OF TALKS WAS ESSENTIALLY EXPLORATORY, USEFUL PROGRESS WAS MADE ON SOME POINTS OF PRINCIPLE. OTHER
IMPORTANT ISSUES HAVE YET TO BE AGREED BUT THEY WILL BE PURSUED AT A FURTHER ROUND OF TALKS. THE DATE HAS YET TO BE AGREED BUT IT MIGHT
BE EARLY SEPTEMBER.
3. THE HMG/HKG OBJECTIVES WERE:
(A) TO PERSUADE THE VIETNAMESE TO ACCEPT REPATRIATION OF ALL
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE ARRIVING IN HONG KONG AFTER 16 JUNE WHO WERE NOT GENUINE REFUGEES ON TERMS AND CONDITIONS WHICH WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE TO US.
(B) TO PERSUADE THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT TO TAKE EFFECTIVE ACTION
TO STOP THE OUTFLOW OF BOAT PEOPLE..
4. WE STRESSED THAT BOTH OBJECTIVES WOULD HAVE TO BE MET AND
GUARANTEED IN ANY PACKAGE TO BE AGREED BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES. WE
ALSO EMPHASISED THE NEED FOR ASSURANCES FROM VIETNAM ON THE HUMANE TREATMENT OF RETURNEES.
5. WE EXPLAINED THAT, UNDER OUR NEW POLICY INTRODUCED ON 16 JUNE 1988 ALL BOAT PEOPLE ARRIVING IN HONG KONG WOULD BE SCREENED TO
DETERMINE THOSE WHO WERE REFUGEES IN THE INTERNATIONALLY ACCEPTED
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CONFIDENTIAL