TNAG-1738-FCO40-2454-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-Macau-1988 — Page 55

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RECORD OF A CALLION LORD GLENARTHUR BY FRENCH STATE SECRETARY FOR

FOREIGN AFFAIRS, M BARIANI IN THE FCO ON 20 JANUARY 1987

W261,

ar

Present

Lord Glenarthur

Mr Reddaway (PS/Lord Glenarthur)

Mr Barrow, WED

M Barlanı

HE Vicomte Luc de La Barre

de Nanteuil

M Castella, Special Adviser

M Malzeret, Special Adviser

Vietnamese Refugees in Hong Kong

1.

M Bariani recalled his trip to Hong Kong in July 1987 and the

special quota of 50 refugees accepted by France. He was not hopeful

that more could be taken: France had taken 130,000 refugees from South

East Asia since 1976. He believed that many of those now in Hong Kong

had fled for economic rather than political reasons. Lord Glenarthur

agreed that this was true in some cases. But the problem needed to be

tackled. International efforts were essential, in particular in terms

of putting pressure on the Vietnamese government to remove the causes of

the exodus. He hoped that France might still take more refugees: Hong

Kong was involved only because people were fleeing from former French

territories.

Cambodia

2.

M Barianı believed that Vietnam would not withdraw unless she felt

confident in the new Cambodian government; otherwise she would feel hemmed in by hostile powers. The Sihanouk/Hun Sen talks were a positive start and economic pressures would probably force Vietnam to compromise

in the longer term. Lord Glenarthur explained that he saw no evidence

of Soviet pressure on Vietnam. M Barianı said that an international

conference might have a role in the future but not yet. He welcomed the

possibility of UK discussions with Sihanouk while accepting that this

was not an initiative.

TAJAFU

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