582
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 2313
OF 091215Z SEPTEMBER
88
CONFIDENTIAL
HKD 243/8
INFO PRIORITY HANOI, UKMIS GENEVA
759
576
12 SEP 1988
061472
MDHOAN 4054
TOP COPY
MQ DIST 7
от
YOUR TELNOS 3504 AND 3350: VIETNAMESE BOAT
PEOPLE IN HONG KONG: TALKS WITH VIETNAM.
1. FIRST TUR: OUR FIRST AND STRONG PREFERENCE WOULD BE FOR THE
TALKS TO BE HELD IN THE FIRST WEEK OF OCTOBER. WE COULD IF
NECESSARY MANAGE 28-30 SEPTEMBER. WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR HANOI'S COMMENTS ON THESE DATES, WITHOUT CONSULTING THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES AT THIS STAGE (SEE PARA 4 BELOW).
WE
2. SECOND TUR PARA 2: WE SUMITTED OUR PROPOSALS TO MINISTERS
ON THE BASIS THAT OUR THINKING WAS AT A VERY EARLY STAGE.
OUTLINED THE IDEAS IN UNHCR'S PAPER
FOR THE APRIL ICG MEETING IN OTTAWA AS AN ILLUSTRATION OF THE
KIND OF AID WE HAD IN MIND. MINISTERS HAVE AGREED IN PRINCIPLE (IN PRINCIPLE) TO THE CONCEPT OF OUR CONTRIBUTING TO A UNHCR
PROGRAMME TO PROVIDE MODEST ASSISTANCE TO RETURNEES AND THEIR
IMMEDIATE COMMUNITIES. WE WILL NEED TO SUBMIT OUR DETAILED
PROPOSALS TO MINISTERS IN DUE COURSE. WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL IF
YOU WOULD KEEP IN CLOSE CONTACT WITH US AS YOUR THINKING DEVELOPS.
3.
SECOND TUR, PARA 3: WE WERE GRATEFUL FOR THIS INFORMATION. DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER BASIC DETAILS (EG DATE OF BIRTH, FAMILY RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE VOLUNTEERS) WHICH WOULD HELP THE VIETNAMESE PINPOINT THESE INDIVIDUALS WHEN HMA HANOI HANDS OVER THE LIST.
SECOND TUR, PARA 4: WE UNDERSTAND THE DIFFICULTIES. THIS IS
A POINT THAT COULD BE TAKEN UP WITH UNHCR WHEN WE MAKE AN
APPROACH THROUGH UKMIS GENEVA COUR TELNO 2306).
5. YOU WILL HAVE SEEN COPIES OF THE RECENT TELEGRAMS CONCERNING
THE QUOTE FIRE-ARM UNQUOTE INCIDENT AT THE VIETNAMESE EMBASSY. WE HOPE THAT THIS INCIDENT CAN NOW (NOW) BE RESOLVED. WE ARE
CONSCIOUS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF MAKING EARLY PROGRESS ON THE BOAT
PEOPLE TALKS BUT CLEARLY IT WOULD NOT (NOT) BE APPROPRIATE FOR
HMA HANOI TO MAKE AN APPROACH TO THE VIETNAMESE CONCERNING THE
NEXT ROUND UNLESS AND UNTIL THE FIRE-ARM INCIDENT HAS BEEN SORTED OUT. THIS COULD, WITH LUCK, BE ON 12 SEPTEMBER IN WHICH CASE IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE TO INSTRUCT HANOI TO APPROACH THE VIETNAMESE TOWARDS
THE END OF NEXT WEEK. BUT THIS COULD SLIP. WE WOULD OE GRATEFUL
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