YAFG
MKD 243/15-
E
1 C OCT 1988
Private Secretary
FILE
71
FROM:
DATE:
Cc:
RJT McLaren
5 October 1988
PS/Lord Glenarthur PS/Mr Eggar PS/Mr Patten PS/PUS
Mr Gillmore
Mr Hum, HKD
Mr Colvin, SEAD
Mr Williams, UND
Mr Whitehead, News Dept
Mr MacLeod, Protocol Dept Mr Machin, ODA
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG
Problem
1.
A second round of talks with the Vietnamese will take place in What London on 11-12 October. I shall lead a joint HMG/HKG team. line should we take?
Recommendation
2.
I recommend that our objectives in these talks should be to secure Vietnamese agreement:-
3.
a) to persist in their efforts to stem the outflow of boat people from Vietnam, and if necessary to take further
measures;
b)
to facilitate the prompt return of all boat people in
We Hong Kong who have asked to go back (now over 300). should be in a position to hand over a list of some 100 people who have been fully processed by the Hong Kong Government and the UNHCR;
c)
to co-operate in comprehensive arrangements for the return of all boat people in Hong Kong who are not genuine refugees. These arrangements must include satisfactory assurances about the treatment of those returned to Vietnam and provision for UNHCR monitoring.
(a) should not create major difficulties.
It will be important,
if at all possible, to secure (b) as a concrete outcome of the talks. The price will almost certainly be some reintegration assistance. There have been indications from UNHCR that they would be prepared to fund a modest initial scheme from their own resources. But I recommend that I should have discretion to say that HMG would be prepared to fund a pilot scheme, through UNHCR, should that be necessary.
CONFIDENTIAL
Page 180Page 181