CONFIDENTIAL
FM HANOI
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TNLNO 109
OF 0805OOZ MARCH 89
CONFIDENTIAL
[ MKD 243/9
INFO IMMEDIATE KUALA LUMPUR, HONG KONG INFO ROUTINE BANGKOK, UKMIS GENEVA
RECE
(94)
012327
MDHIAN 5728
TOP COPY
Q DIST ?
YOUR TELNO 76: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE
1. THERE IS SOME CONFUSION AMONGST JOURNALISTS ABOUT WHAT PRECISELY MR CAN SAID THROUGH HIS INTERPRETER. WHATEWZSOIT WAS LED A NUMBER OF THEMTO BELIEVE THAT HE EXPRESSED ACCEPTANCE OR APPROVAL OF NON-VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION IN THE FULL KNOWLEDGE THAT HE WAS SPEAKING AGAINST DECLARED POLICY.
2. THE VNA HAVE NOW ISSUED A FORM OF DENIAL (SEE MIFT) WHICH INTERESTINGLY DOES NOT REFER SPECIFICALLY TO NON-VOLUNTARY REPATRIATES AND APPEARS CAREFULLY TO LEAVE THE DOOR UNLOCKED IF NOT OPEN.
3. THE MFA REPRESENTATIVES (EUROPE 2) TO WHOM I HAVE SPOKEN ARE CLEARLY EMBARRASSED BY THE REPORTS OF WHAT CAN SAID AND ARE SEKING WIHOUT CONVICTION TO DISMISS THEM AS INACCURATE.
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4 I AM LUNCHING TODY WITH CAN AND WILL TRY TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THESMATTER.
DAVIES
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
96
DISTRIBUTION
102
.VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HK
LIMITED
HKD
SEAD
UND
LEGAL ADVISERS
PUSD
ECD (E)
NEWS
PS
PAGE
PS/LORD GLENARTHUR
PS/MR PATTEN ODA
PS MR EGGAR
PS/PUS
MR GILLMORE
MR SLATER
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CONFIDENTIAL