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MCD 243/15
18 OCT 1988
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030701
MDLIAN 6295
ons
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FM BANGKOK
TO ROUTINE FCO
TELNO 691
OF 180856Z OCTOBER 88
AND TO ROUTINE HANOI, UKMIS GENEVA, HONG KONG
115
YOUR TELNO 169 VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG
1.
ACTION TAKEN AS INSTRUCTED IN YOUR TUR WITH KOBSAK CHUTIKUL, DEPUTY DIRECTOR-GENERAL, MFA ON 18 OCTOBER.
2.
KOBSAK WAS GRATEFUL FOR DETAILS OF THE SECOND ROUND OF TALKS. HE ASKED PARTICULARLY ON WHAT BASIS THE VIETNAMESE WOULD ACCEPT VOLUNTARY RETURNEES (WE SUGGESTED HE DISCUSS WITH UNHCR), WHETHER THERE HAD BEEN DISCUSSION ON INVOLUNTARY REPATRIATION OF THOSE SCREEN OUT (WE SAID NOT SUBSTANTIVELY, BUT THAT INTERNATIONAL PRACTICE ALLOWED FOR RETURN, TO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN, OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS YOUR TELNO 2659 TO HONG KONG).
3.
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KOBSAK ALSO EXPRESSED HIS CONCERN OVER SOME ASPECTS OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR THE RETURNEES. HE HAD DISCUSSED VIETNAMESE PROPOSALS WITH UNHCR AND WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT HOUSING WOULD BE PROVIDED FOR RETURNEES. IF SO,
IF SO, THIS WOULD PROVE AN INCENTIVE WHICH WOULD ENCOURAGE CONTINUED DE- PARTURES (A PULL FACTOR). WE RESPONDED ON THE BASIS OF PARA (U) OF YOUR TELNO 2670, SAYING THAT OUR UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT ONLY HOUSING ITEMS WOULD BE PROVIDED. IS OUR INTER-
PRETATION CORRECT?
4. SIMILARLY, KOBSAK SAID HIS UNDERSTANDING, FROM UNHCR, WAS THAT VIETNAM WOULD NOT (NOT) BE RESPONSIBLE FOR INTERNAL TRANSPORT IN VIETNAM THIS DOES NOT ACCORD WITH WHAT KHOAN SAID IN LONDON (PARA (3)(G) OF TELNO 2670.
ΤΟΝ ΚΙΝ
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