CONFIDENTIAL
057275
MDHIAN 419
DELIVERED A ROCKET TO THE INTERIOR MINISTRY FOR FAILING TO CONTROL
AND REDUCE THE EXODUS.
F. THE PRIORITY TARGET FOR THE INTERIOR MINISTRY WAS THE ARREST OF ORGANISERS OF DEPARTURES.
G. EVEN MORE PUBLICITY WOULD BE GIVEN TO THE ISSUE AND EMPHASIS
LAID ON THE HOPELESSNESS OF GOING TO COUNTRIES IN THE REGION INCLUDING HONG KONG. THIS WAS EMPHASISED AT A PRESS CONFERENCE
ON 9 MAY.
H. AS FAR AS HE COULD JUDGE THE REASONS FOR THE CURRENT SURGE IN DEPARTURES WAS THAT THERE WAS A ''DEPARTURE PSYCHOLOGY'' ATTRIBUTABLE TO MANY REASONS BUT INCLUDING NOTABLY THE ACTIVITIES
OF FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS OVER THE YEARS IN FIRST ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO LEAVE VIETNAM AND THEN AGITATING FOR THEIR FAMILIES TO BE ALLOWED TO JOIN THEM AND THE ECONOMIC SITUATION RESULTING FROM YEARS OF WARFARE AND IN PARTICULAR THE US ATTEMPT TO ''BOMB NORTH VIETNAM INTO THE STONE AGE''
I. THERE WERE 2 SIDES TO THIS PARTICULAR COIN. VIETNAM WAS TAKING URGENT STEPS TO PREVENT PEOPLE LEAVING: IT WAS UP TO HONG KONG,%9 AND OTHER COUNTRIES, TO TURN BACK THOSE WHO HAD SUCCEEDED IN LEAVING. HE ADVISED THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES TO FOLLOW THE
EXAMPLE OF THE THAIS IN PUSHING PEOPLE AWAY.
J. HE ASKED FOR COOPERATION FROM THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT ALSO
IN THE PROVISION OF INFORMATION ON ORGANISERS OF DEPARTURES AND
IN PUBLICISING THEIR POLICY NOT TO ACCEPT BOAT PEOPLE FROM VIETNAM.
K. HE WOULD LIKE OUR SUPPORT IN RAISING THE MATTER WITH THE CHINESE AGOVERNMENT: IT WAS CLEAR THAT THE
CHINESE AUTHORITIES WERE HELPING PEOPLE TO GET FROM
VIETNAM TO HONG KONG.
4. IN RESPONSE I MADE THE FOLLOWING POINTS:
A. I WAS GLAD TO HEAR HIS CATEGORICAL ASSURANCE THAT IT WAS NOT
VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT POLICY TO ENCOURAGE THE EXODUS TO HONG KONG.
B. IT WAS REASSURING TO HAVE THE MORE CONCRETE INDICATIONS OF VIETNAMESE ATTEMPTS TO REDUCE THE OUTFLOW: IF HE COULD LET ME HAVE
MORE DETAILS WE COULD USE THEM IN RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS IN PARTLI-
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