CONFIDENTIAL
TOP COPY
112
Q DIST 020722
HKD 243/15 нко
MDHIAN 7602
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 141130Z FCO
TELNO 3839
OF 14100OZ OCTOBER
88
INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA
INFO PRIORITY BANGKOK, HANOI
106
107
YOUR TELNOS 2686 AND 2687:
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG:
SECOND ROUND OF TALKS WITH VIETNAM.
1. WE ARE CONTENT WITH THE LINE IN SECOND TUR AS THE BASIS FOR BREIFING.
2. ON SECOND TUR, YOU AND UKMIS GENEVA MAY WISH TO NOTE THAT KARIM (UNHCR CHARGE DE MISSION) THIS MORNING VOLUNTEERED THAT HE
THOUGHT THE NEXT DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN UNHCR AND VIETNAM WOULD
BE IN THE MARGINS OF THE UNHCR WORKING GROUP IN BANGKOK BETWEEN 27 AND 28 OCTOBER.
·
3. KARIM ALSO MADE THE SUGGESTION THAT INITIAL ASSISTANCE TO THE 300 VOLUNTEERS FOR EARLY REPATRIATION MIGHT BE IN THE FORM OF UNHCR PROVIDED PERSONAL ASSISTANCE TO BE DISBURSED IN VIETNAM SINCE IT WOULD TAKE UNHCR SOME TIME TO BUILD UP ITS PRESENCE IN VIETNAM TO ADMINISTER AND MONITOR ANY MORE SOPHISTICATED
PROGRAMME AT THE COMMUNITY OR PROJECT LEVEL. BUT THE IMMEDIATE
PERSONAL ASSISTANCE SHOULD NOT PRECLUDE COMMUNITY OR PROJECT LEVEL
ASSISTANCE FOR THE SAME GROUP LATER.
4. KARIM OFFERED THESE OBSERVATIONS IN THE COURSE OF HANDING US AN INVITATION TO ATTEND THE BANGKOK CONFERENCE TO 'COMPLEMENT AND FURTHER THE RECENT BILATERAL AND MULTILATERAL INITIATIVES TAKEN TO FIND A SOLUTION TO THE HUMANITARIAN PROBLEM OF THE REGION''.
·
AS SEEN FROM HERE THE MARGINS OF THIS CONFERENCE MAY BE A USEFUL OPPORTUNITY TO FURTHER ''TECHNICAL LEVEL'' DISCUSSIONS WITH THE VIETNAMESE AND UNHCR ON BOTH REINTEGRATION ASSISTANCE AND REPATRIATION ARRANGEMENTS.
WILSON
YYYY
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CONFIDENTIAL