CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO DESKBY 04013OZ HANOI
TELNO 174
OF 03160OZ MAY 89
INFO DESKBY 04010OZ HONG KONG
INFO DESKBY 03233OZ PEKING
MkD 243/22
INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON
033776 MDHOAN 0361
TOP COPY Ɑ DIST ?
HONG KONG TELNO 1386 AND YOUR TELNO 226 (NOT TO WASHINGTON) VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: FURTHER ACTION WITH VIETNAMESE
1. WE WERE GRATEFUL FOR THE EARLY ACTION YOU TOOK WITH ĐINH NHO LIEM. MINISTERS HAVE IN THE MEANTIME STRONGLY ENDORSED THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN HONG KONG TELNO 1386. NOTWITHSTANDING YOUR MEETING WITH LIEM, WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD NOW SEEK AN URGENT CALL AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL YOU CONSIDER PRACTICABLE AND MAKE THE FOLLOWING POINTS:
MINISTERS WISH TO UNDERLINE THEIR VERY DEEP CONCERN OVER THE CRISIS NOW FACING HONG KONG. EVEN IN THE LAST 24 HOURS (IE SINCE THE MEETING WITH LIEM) A FURTHER 620 BOAT PEOPLE HAVE ARRIVED. THERE ARE INCREASINGLY CLEAR INDICATIONS THAT THOUSANDS MORE ARE
ON THEIR WAY.
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MINISTERS WERE PARTICULARLY CONCERNED TO LEARN ABOUT THE NEW PHENOMENON OF BOAT PEOPLE CROSSING THE VIETNAM/CHINA LAND BORDER.
THEY APPRECIATE THE ASSURANCES WHICH THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES HAVE GIVEN, MOST RECENTLY DURING LORD GLENARTHUR'S VISIT TO HANOI, THAT MEASURES ARE BEING TAKEN TO DISCOURAGE DEPARTURES. IT IS THEREFORE PARTICULARLY DISTURBING THAT THE DEPARTURE RATE HAS INCREASED SO DRAMATICALLY. THERE IS NOW AN URGENT NEED FOR FURTHER SPECIFIC MEASURES IN RESPONSE TO THIS DETERIORATING SITUATION.
SUCH MEASURES SHOULD INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:
(A) THE SWIFT PROSECUTION OF ORGANISERS OF ILLEGAL DEPARTURES
FROM THE NORTH.
(B) AN INCREASE IN COASTAL PATROLS TO DETER THE LEVEL OF
DEPARTURES.
(C) A SIMILAR INCREASE IN LAND BORDER PATROLS TO PREVENT
DEPARTURES INTO CHINA.
(D) THE WIDE DISSEMINATION OF PUBLICITY TO DISSUADE PEOPLE
FROM LEAVING, INCLUDING A CLEAR ACCOUNT OF THE SCREENING POLICY ADOPTED IN HONG KONG AND ELSEWHERE.
MINISTERS WOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR DETAILS OF MEASURES THAT HAVE
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