(603
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HANOI
TO FLASH FCO
TELNO 280
OF 031630Z AUGUST 88
CONFIDENTIAL
НКО 243/8
RE
/ AUG 1988
O
DIST
oner!
AND TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONC
FOLLOWING FROM DELEGATION FOR GILMORE AND HUM (HKD)
(600)
MY TELEGRAM NO 279 VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: TALKS IN HANOI
133065
MDHIAN 9328
1. WE HAVE CONSIDERED, ON A CONTINGENCY BASIS, THE KIND OF PRESS STATEMENT WHICH WOULD MARK A STEP FORWARD AT THESE TALKS, GRANTED THAT IT IS CLEAR ALREADY THAT WE ARE NOT GOING TO REACH FULL AGREEMENT THIS TIME ROUND.
2. WE SUGGEST THAT THE FOLLOWING TEXT MIGHT FIT THE BILL:
QUOTE
REPRESENTATIVES OF THE BRITISH AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENTS AND OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM MET IN HANOI ON 3 AND 4 AUGUST TO CONSIDER POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEMS CREATED BY THE LARGE AND GROWING NUMBER OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE
ENTERING HONG KONG AS ECONOMIC MIGRANTS.
BOTH SIDES AGREED THAT WHILE THE HISTORICAL AND SOCIAL CAUSES OF THE CUTFLOW FROM VIETNAM WERE COMPLEX, AN EFFECTIVE SOLUTION WAS URGENTLY REQUIRED. THEY FURTHER AGREED THAT ANY SOLUTION WOULD NEED TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE FACT THAT, UNDER INTERNATIONAL PRACTICE, ECONOMIC MIGRANTS HAVE NO AUTOMATIC RIGHT TO RESETTLEMENT IN THIRD COUNTRIES. THEYEARE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FOR WHOM REPATRIATION TO THE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN IS THE ONLY REALISTIC OPTION.
THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH REPATRIATION MIGHT TAKE PLACE (SQUARE BRACKETSS START, INCLUDING THE POSSIBILITY OF REINTEGRATION ASSISTANCE (SQUARE BRACKETS END) WERE CONSIDERED BUT, IN THE TIME AVAILABLE, IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO REACH AGREEMENT. HOWEVER, BOTH SIDES AGREED TO REFLECT FURTHER AND IN THE CASE OF THE BRITISH SIDE, TO CONSULT THEIR AUTHORITIES, OTHER CONCERNED GOVERNMENTS AND THE UNHCR WITH A VIEW TO A FURTHER MEETING SOON AT WHICH PRACTICAL
DECISIONS COULD BE TAKEN
UNQUOTE.
3. A PRESS STATEMENT ALONG THESE LINES WOULD CONCEDE THE PRINCIPLE
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