CONFIDENTIAL
FM KUALA LUMPUR
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 445
OF 24070OZ AUGUST 88
701
CONFIDENTIAL
НКО 24318 нко
010015
MDHIAN 1160
N
INFO PRIORITY HAGOI, BANGKOK, UKMIS GENEVA, PEKING
670
YOUR TELEGRAM NO 372: VISIT OF MALAYSIAN DPM TO HANOI
1. MY EFFORTS TO ARRANGE A MEETING WITH THE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER HAVE NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL. HE HAS BEEN AWAY ELECTIONEERING IN THE SOUTH AND HE LEAVES, FOR LAOS AND THEN VIETNAM, IMMEDIATELY AFTER THIS MORNING'S CABINET MEETING. THIS MEANS THAT I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SEE THE FOREIGN MINISTER EITHER.
2. I TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY OF MY FIRST CALL ON THE NEW SECRETARY- GENERAL OF THE MFA ON 23 AUGUST TO SPEAK AS INSTRUCTED. HE IS TO BE A MEMBER OF THE HANOI PARTY AND UNDERTOOK TO PASS ON WHAT I SAID TO THE TWO MINISTERS.
3. YUSOF HITAM TOLD ME THAT THE MALAYSIAN POSITION WAS TO BE VERY SIMPLE AND DIRECT. THEY WOULD TELL THE VIETNAMESE THAT THEY HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE INCREASING NUMBER OF VIETNAMESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AND THAT THEY HAD DECIDED TO DISPOSE OF IT. THEY HOPED THAT THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT WOULD HELP THEM TO DO THIS AND IF THEY WERE CO-OPERATIVE THE MALAYSIAN GOVERNMENT WOULD HELP VIETNAM. IF NOT, ALL ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WHO WERE NOT, AFTER A PASSAGE OF A CERTAIN PERIOD (CERTAINLY MORE THAN A YEAR), EARMARKED
EARMARKED FOR RESETTLEMENT WOULD BE RETURNED TO VIETNAM WHETHER THEY OR THE VIETNAMESE LIKED IT OR NOT. IF THE VIETNAMESE ATTEMPTED TO PREVENT THIS OPERATION, THE MALAYSIANS WOULD USE FORCE.
4. APPARENTLY THE DPM HAD ADVOCATED FORCIBLE RETURN WITHOUT ANY ALTERNATIVE AND THE MFA HAD BEEN OBLIGED TO FIGHT HARD TO GET THE FINANCIAL CARROT INTO THE PROPOSAL. THE LINE TO BE TAKEN HAD BEEN APPROVED BY THE CABINET AND WOULD BE STRICTLY ADHERED TO.
5.THE SECRETARY-GENERAL TOOK THE POINT ABOUT NOT LETTING THE VIETNAMESE PLAY US OFF AGAINST EACH OTHER BUT SAID THAT IF THEY WERE CO-OPERATIVE THE MALAYSIANS WOULD, IN FACT, BE READY TO GIVE THEM QUITE CONSIDERABLE SUMS OF MONEY TO HELP WITH RESETTLEMENT PROBLEMS. THE ALTERNATIVE, AFTER ALL, WOULD BE VERY COSTLY FOR THE MALAYSIANS. HE WAS LESS IMPRESSED, HOWEVER, BY THE ARGUMENT ABOUT THEIR INTERNATIONAL RESPECTABILITY, WHICH HE DID NOT THINK
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