CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 2791
OF 210845Z JULY 88
AND TO PRIORITY
HANOI
нко
RE
INL.
CONFIDENTIAL
24318
;!
541
075241
MDLIAN 4278
27 JUL 1988
TOP COPY
Q DIST ?
N
INFO PRIORITY SINGAPORE, MANILA, JAKARTA, BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN INFO PRIORITY WASHINGTON, CANBERRA, OTTAWA, TOKYO, PEKING INFO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA, KUALA LUMPUR BANGKOK
536
/
HANOI TELNO 269 VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG : STRATEGY
FOR TALKS IN HANOI
1. WE LEAVE IT TO YOU TO COMMENT ON HANOI'S ASSESSMENT THAT THE
VIETNAMESE HAVE UNDERGONE A MAJOR CHANGE OF HEART. SEEN FROM HERE,
IT MUST BE TRUE THAT THE VIETNAMESE SEE THE BOAT PEOPLE
PROBLEM IN THE CONTEXT OF THEIR OVERALL FOREIGN POLICY OBJECTIVES
AND THAT AT LEAST ONE OF THEIR MOTIVES MUST BE TO HELP IN ENDING
THEIR INTERNATIONAL ISOLATION. WHAT WE CANNOT TELL YET IS HOW FAR
THIS WILL SMOOTH OUR PRACTICAL DISCUSSION IN HANOI AND HOW FAR
THE VIETNAMESE WILL SEEK TO EXTRACT CONCESSIONS FROM US. ON THE FACE
OF IT IT WOULD BE VERY SURPRISING IF THEY DID NOT TRY TO STRIKE A HARD BARGAIN, INCLUDING AS MUCH FINANCIAL BENEFIT AS THEY COULD GET IF AS HANOI SUGGEST THEY ARE READY TO ACCEPT THAT AID PEGGED
TO THE RETURN OF REFUGEES SHOULD BE KEPT COMPLETELY SEPARATE FROM ANY WIDER PACKAGE THAT WOULD BE A CONSIDERABLE HELP, BUT WE MUST BE READY TO COUNTER ANY ATTEMPT TO MAKE SUCH A LINK.
•
2. MEANWHILE THERE HAVE BEEN REPORTS IN THE PRESS, DATELINED 19 JULY FROM BANGKOK, QUOTING VIETNAMESE EMBASSY OFFICIALS TO THE EFFECT THAT HANOI IS LOOKING FORWARD TO TALKS WITH HMG/HKG. MIFT CONTAINS
AN EXTRACT FROM THE REPORT ON THIS FROM THE SCMP OF 20 JULY. IF
RELIABLE THIS SUGGESTS THE VIETNAMESE WILL TRY TO GET INVOLVED IN THE SCREENING PROCESS, EITHER BY VETTING OUR LIST OF SCREENED OUT
BOAT PEOPLE OR BY SOME KIND OF JOINT OPERATION.
3. ANY FORM OF CO-OPERATION WITH THE VIETNAMESE ON SCREENING AS
SUCH WOULD OF COURSE CAUSE US GREAT DIFFICULTIES. WE COULD CERTAINLY NOT AGREE TO THEIR OFFICIALS Y OMING HERE TO TAKE PART IN SCREENING. OBVIOUSLY OUR MAIN OBJECTIVE MUST BE TO TRY TO GET THE VIETNAMESE TO ACCEPT OUR PROCESS OF SCREENING OUT. WE RECOGNISE NEVERTHELESS THAT THERE WILL PROBABLY HAVE TO BE SOME ARRANGEMENT FOR THE VIETNAMESE TO CHECK OUR LISTS OF SCREENED OUT PEOPLE IN
1
PAGE
CONFIDENTIAL