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CONFIDENTIAL
107447
MDHIAN 4248
WAS CONSIDERABLE DISCUSSION, LED BY UNHCR'S DI MIELLO, ABOUT THE OPTIONS OPEN TO ASEAN IF A CONFERENCE WERE TO BE CONVENTED. NO SUBSTANTIVE CONCLUSIONS WERE REACHED. UNHCR MADE IT CLEAR THAT THIS ISSUE AFFECTED THE QUESTION OF FUNDING THE CONFERENCE, AND THE DEGREE TO WHICH THEY COULD PROVIDE ORGANISATIONAL SUPPORT. THERE WAS ALSO SOME INCONCLUSIVE DISCUSSION ON WHAT THE CONFERENCE SHOULD BE CALLED. DI MIELLO EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT
USING THE WORD INDO-CHINESE COULD LEAD TO CALLS WITHIN THE UN
FOR THE CONFERENCE TO ADDRESS OTHER INDO-CHINESE REFUGEE PRO- BLEMS, E.G. THE KHMERS.
COMMENT
7. ASEAN SHOWED FLEXIBILITY AND A WILLINGNESS TO COMPROMISE IN ORDER TO WIN SUPPORT FOR AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE NEXT SPRING.
8. THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE APPROACH IS CLEARLY GATHERING MOMENTUM AND WE SHALL NEED TO REMAIN CLOSELY INVOLVED IF OUR OBJECTIVES ARE TO BE ACHIEVED. THE PROPOSAL FOR THE NEXT EXPANDED WORKING GROUP MEETING TO BE HELD IN LATE-OCTOBER HAS IMPLICATIONS FOR OUR PROPOSED FORTHCOMING ROUND OF BILATERALS WITH THE VIETNAMESE. THERE IS SOME CONCERN AMONGST ASEAN AND ICG COUNTRIES THAT THE BILATERAL CONTACTS COULD POSSIBLY COMPRISE OR UNDERMINE THE MULTILATERAL APPROACH.
TONKIN
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
107
DISTRIBUTION
111
.VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HK
LIMITED
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LEGAL ADVISERS
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ECD (E)
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PS
PS/LORD GLENARTHUR
PS MR EGGAR
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MR GILLMORE
MR SLATER
MR MCLAREN
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CONFIDENTIAL