CONFIDENTIAL
MCD 243/15
131
040026
MDHIAN 8222
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 3890
OF 20080OZ OCTOBER 88
130
ons
G
TOP COPY O DIST ?
OUR TELNO 3889: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG: TALKS WITH
VIETNAM
1. WE BRIEFED THE OMELCO SECURITY PANEL ON 18 OCTOBER ON THE
SECOND ROUND OF TALKS. THE PROPOSED VISIT BY VIETNAMESE
''TECHNICAL PERSONNEL WAS NOT (NOT) INCLUDED IN THE BRIEFING.
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2. THERE WAS A GOOD TURN OUT FOR THE BRIEFING INCLUDING OMELCO
MEMBERS WHO WERE NOT ON THE SECURITY PANEL. THE MEETING LASTED
FOR 1 AND A HALF HOURS AND MEMBERS DISPLAYED PARTICULAR INTEREST IN REINTEGRATION ASSISTANCE. THERE WAS A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF PREDICTABLE
SCEPTICISM BY MEMBERS ABOUT THE INTENTIONS OF THE VIETNAMESE
AND ALSO CRITICISM OF THE EXTENT OF HMG'S ASSISTANCE OVER
RESETTLEMENT. SOME MEMBERS E.G. MARTIN LEE AND KINGSLEY SIT WERE
VERY FORTHRIGHT IN THEIR VIEWS IN THESE REPECTS. OVERALL THE PANEL
TENDED TO RESERVE ITS POSITION ON THE SUCCESS OF THE TALKS.
3. THE MAIN POINTS RAISED BY MEMBERS OF THE PANEL WERE AS FOLLOWS:
(A) THE SECOND ROUND OF TALKS HAD NOT MADE MUCH PROGRESS IN RESPECT OF A COMPREHENSIVE SETTLEMENT, THERE WAS NO REAL ASSURANCE FROM THE VIETNAMESE THAT THEY WERE PREPARED TO AKE BACK ALL NON- REFUGEES, AND THE BRITISH SIDE HAD CONCEDED FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE WITHOUT GAINING MORE THAN AN AGREEMENT ON THE RETURN OF VOLUNTEERS: AND
(B) CONCERN OVER THE EXTENT OF HONG KONG'S AGREEMENT ON
REINTEGRATION ASSISTANCE IN THE ABSENCE OF ANY INDICATION OF THE
LIKELY LEVEL OF FINANCIAL COMMITMENT INVOLVED AS WELL AS UNCERTAINTY OVER THE APPORTIONMENT OF CONTRIBUTIONS BETWEEN HMG AND HKG.
·
4. AFTER THE BRIEFING THE CHAIRMAN OF THE PANEL SPOKE TO THE PRESS. THE SCMP HAD REPORTED ON 19 OCTOBER UNDER THE HEADLINES
''LEGCO MAY BLOCK HANOI AID DEAL QUOTE THE CHAIRMAN SAID THAT THE
PANEL WAS NOT HAPPY WITH THE PRINCIPLE OF PAYMENT BEING MADE FOR BOAT PEOPLE WHO WERE RETURNING HOM VOLUNTARILY, AND THAT
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CONFIDENTIAL