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CATION IN THE US. HOWEVER THE US HAD ONLY INTERVIEWED 26,339 CASES AND ONLY 9,649 PEOPLE HAD LEFT FOR THE US. VIETNAM WAS NOW PRESSING THE US TO ACCELERATE THEIR ODP PROGRAMME. AT THE END OF THE YEAR THERE WOULD BE A MEETING ON ODP IN GENEVA. THE VIETNAMESE WERE PRESSING FOR A QUICK SOLUTION IN THIS AREA.
(E) MALAYSIA'S DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER HAD VISITED HANOI AND THE TWO SIDES HAD REACHED A BASIC AGREEMENT. WE WOULD BE AWARE OF THE CONTENTS OF THAT AGREEMENT. THE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER HAD INVITED A DELEGATION OF VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS TO MALAYSIA AT THE BEGINNING OF NOVEMBER TO DISCUSS SPECIFIC ARRANGEMENTS FOR REPATRIA- ΤΙΟΝ.
MALAYSIA HAD ALSO INVITED THE VIETNAMESE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PREPARATORY COMMITTEE FOR AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON REFUGEES IN SOUTH EAST ASIA, ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED FOR 14-16 NOVEMBER. THESE DATES HAD NOW CHANGED BUT THE VIETNAMESE HAD ACCEPTED THE MALAYSIANS INVITATION. THE VIETNAMESE HAD ALSO MET DE MELLO (UNHCR) ON 28-29 SEPTEMBER. DE MELLO WHOULD PREPARE A DRAFT AGREEMENT CONCERNING THE RETURN OF THOSE WHO HAD VOLUNTEERED TO GO BACK TO VIETNAM. THE VIETNAMESE HAD ALSO EXCHANGED VIEWS WITH THAILAND, BUT DESPITE REPEATED INVITATIONS THE THAIS WERE NOT YET READY TO PARTICIPATE IN FORMAL TALKS.
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(F) THE VIETNAMESE HAD FORMED AN ORGANISATION TO RECEIVE RETURNEES. THIS INCLUDED REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE MFA, THE INTERIOR MINISTRY AND THE LABOUR MINISTRY. DE MELLO HAD HANDED OVER 57 CASES OF VIETNAMESE WHO WANTED TO RETURN TO VIETNAM AND HAD INFORMED THE VIETNAMESE THAT A TOTAL OF 133 (SIC) WANTED TO RETURN.
THE VIETNAMESE LOOKED FORWARD TO RECEIVING FURTHER PAPERS CONCERNING RETURNEES, AND THEY WERE EXAMINING THOSE PAPERS THEY HAD ALREADY RECEIVED.
3. KHOAN CONCLUDED THAT THESE ACTIONS WERE CLEAR EVIDENCE OF THE SERIOUS ATTITUDE THE VIETNAMESE TOOK TO THIS ISSUE. OUR RESPONSE
4. I EXPRESSED APPRECIATION TO THE VIETNAMESE SIDE FOR THE MEASURES THAT THEY HAD TAKEN. WE HOPED THAT THESE HAD CONTRIBUTED TO THE FALL IN ARRIVALS IN HONG KONG SINCE AUGUST. FOR OUR PART, SINCE THE INTRODUCTION OF HKG'S NEW POLICY ON 16 JUNE, WE HAD MADE EVERY EFFORT TO ENSURE THAT RADIO TRANSMISSIONS IN THE REGION SUCH AS THE BBC'S EXTERNAL SERVICE, VOICE OF AMERICA AND RADIO AUSTRALIA CONVEYED THE FULL IMPORT OF THE NEW POLICY AND EXPLAINED WHAT IT MEANT TO PEOPLE IN VIETNAM. WE UNDERSTOOD FROM SPEAKING TO MORE RECENT ARRIVALS THAT MANY OF THEM HAD IN FACT HEARD OF THE NEW POLICY ON THE RADIO. 5. SINCE 1 OCTOBER, RADIO HONG KONG HAD BEEN BROADCASTING MESSAGES IN VIETNAMESE EXPLAINING THE NEW POLICY AND WHY IN VIEW
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