CONFIDENTIAL
HKA 020/14
9
170315
MDHIAN 8754
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HANOI
TO DESKBY 10173OZ FCO
TELNO 34
OF 10163OZ JANUARY 92
AND TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, UKREP BRUSSELS, UKMIS GENEVA
INFO PRIORITY WASHINGTON AND BANGKOK
BANGKOK FOR PS/LORD CAITHNESS ON ARRIVAL
MY TELNO'S 30-32 : VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS : ORP II
SUMMARY
la
Imp
1. AGREEMENT ON PRESS LINE. SIGNATURE OF ORP II MODALITIES DEPENDS ON SIDE- LETTER FROM MINISTER OF STATE SETTING OUT WHAT WE CAN DO TO STIMULATE NEW FINANCE TO THE COMMUNITIES TAKING BACK THE VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS, BUT IS NOT GUARANTEED.
DETAIL
2. DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER, NGUYEN DY NIEN, HAS AGREED, AFTER SOME INTERNAL DEBATE, THAT WE MAY USE THE PRESS LINE IN MY TELNO 32, MINUS THE LAST EIGHT WORDS OF THE THIRD PARAGRAPH. IN DOING SO HE SAID THAT HE HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED BY PRIME MINISTER VO VAN KIET (WITH WHOM THE MINISTER HAD A FRIENDLY AND CONSTRUCTIVE CONVERSATION THIS AFTERNOON) THAT QUOTE THE MOMENTUM OF REPATRIATION MUST BE
MAINTAINED UNQUOTE.
3. WE HAVE NO NEED OURSELVES AT PRESENT TO ISSUE THIS PRESS GUIDANCE. WE HAVE SAID THEREFORE THAT WE INTEND TO GIVE THIS LINE TO YOU AND HONG KONG TO DRAW ON IN ANSWER TO QUESTIONS AND IF NECESSARY TO DEFUSE AWKWARD RUMOURS IN THE CAMPS. THE VIETNAMESE WHOLLY SHARE OUR DESIRE TO AVOID UNSETTLING THE CAMP POPULATION.
4. NIEN HAS ASSURED US THAT WE NEED NOT WORRY ABOUT THE REPATRIATION PROGRAMME, BUT HE HAS UNDERLINED THE DIFFICULTIES WHICH HIS MINISTERY IS HAVING WITH PARTY OFFICIALS AND THE MINISTRIES OF LABOUR AND THE INTERIOR OVER THE COSTS. HE HAS WELCOMED OUR SUGGESTION THAT THE MINISTER OF STATE SHOULD WRITE TO HIM SETTING OUT IN AS POSITIVE TERMS AS WE CAN WHAT WE
ARE ABLE TO DO TO GENERATE MORE CASH FOR THE AFFECTED COMMUNITIES. OUR JOINT HOPE IS THAT WHAT WE SAY WILL UNLOCK THEIR SIGNATURE TO THE ORP II MODALITIES TEXT AND OPEN THE WAY TO A NUMBER OF FLIGHTS THIS SPRING.
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