RESTRICTED
262
C
RESTRICTED
FM HANOI
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 477
OF 1305OOZ SEPT 89
HKB 243 19
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG AND PEKING
/
(252)
TOP COPY Q DIST?
HONG KONG TELNO 2962: POSSIBLE SINO-VIETNAMESE AGREEMENT ON
REPATRIATION OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE
130607
MDLIAN 9929
1 I PUT THE QUESTION LAST NIGHT SEPARATELY TO VU KHOAN ASSISTANT FOREIGN MINISTER AND TO LE THO HEAD OF CONSULAR DEPT. THEY BOTH DENIED THAT ANY INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT HAD BEEN REACHED BUT WERE BOTH HAZY ON WHETHER ANY VIETNAMESE ''BOAT PEOPLE'' HAD BEEN PUSHED BACK. VU KHOAN SAID THAT THE BORDER CONTROLS HAD BECOME TOO LAX AND THAT THERE HAD RECENTLY BEEN A TIGHTENING UP (BY IMPLICATION ON BOTH SIDES) TO ENSURE THAT ONLY THOSE WHO LIVED IN THE BORDER ZONES COULD TRAVEL ACROSS: THEREFORE SOME PEOPLE MAY HAVE
BEEN PUSHED BACK.
2. IT SEEMS TO ME QUITE LIKELY THAT THE CHINESE LOCAL AUTHORITIES HAVE BEEN FORCIBLY REPATRIATING AT LEASE SOME ''BOAT PEOPLE BUT QUALLY LIKELY THAT THE VIETNAMESE WOULD NOT WISH TO REVEAL THIS TO US BECAUSE OF THE IMPLICATIONS FOR FORCIBLE RETURN FROM HONG KONG.
3. WE SHALL CONTINUE TO KEEP AN EYE ON THIS.
DAVIES
YYYY
DISTRIBUTION
118
ΜΑΙΝ
111
.VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HK
RMD
LIMITED
PS
HKD
SEAD
UND
LEGAL ADVISERS
PUSD
ECD (E)
PS/MR MAUDE
PS/MR SAINSBURY
PS/LORD BRABAZON
PS/MRS CHALKER
PS/PUS
MR GILLMORE
PAGE
1
RESTRICTED