CONFIDENTIAL
113774
MDHOAN 7659
WRONG FOR THESE PEOPLE TO BE ALLOWED TO BELIEVE THAT HONG KONG WAS AN EXIT TO A FUTURE ELSEWHERE WHICH SIMPLY DID NOT EXIST. THEY WERE NOT POLITICAL REFUGEES, BUT ECONOMIC MIGRANTS. WE WERE GOING TO HAVE TO INTRODUCE SCREENING, AND ALL THOSE JUDGED NOT TO BE POLITICAL REFUGEES WOULD EVENTUALLY HAVE TO GO BACK TO VIETNAM. CO THACH ADDED 'IF THEY WANT TO'. THE SECRETARY OF STATE SAID THAT THERE WAS NO ALTERNATIVE FOR THEM. THERE WAS NO OBLIGATION ON THE REST OF THE WORLD TO TAKE THEM.
6. HE ASKED WHEN VIETNAM WOULD ANSWER THE QUESTIONS WHICH THE UNCHR HAD PUT TO THEM. CO THACH SAID THAT VIETNAM HAD ALWAYS MAINTAINED THAT THESE PEOPLE WERE NOT POLITICAL REFUGEES AND WERE GLAD THAT THE WEST NOW AGREED WITH THIS. THEY WOULD LIKE TO STOP THE FLOW BUT IT WAS NOT EASY. THEY RAN THE RISK OF BEING CONDEMNED FOR REFUSING TO GIVE PEOPLE THE FREEDOM TO LEAVE. BUT THEY WERE PREPARED TO NEGOTIATE ON A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM.
7. THE SECRETARY OF STATE SAID THAT THE BEST THING VIETNAM COULD DO WOULD BE TO TELL THEIR PEOPLE THAT IF THEY DID TRAVEL THEY TO HONG KONG THEY HAD NO PROSPECT OF GOING ON ELSEWHERE. WOULD BE TREATED AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, AND THEIR ONLY PROSPECT WOULD BE RETURN TO VIETNAM. CO THACH SAID THAT THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT HAD ALREADY SAID THIS. BUT PEOPLE DID NOT LIKE THE ODP BECAUSE OF THE DELAYS IT IMPOSED, AND STILL PREFERRED THE ILLEGAL ROUTE. THE SECRETARY OF STATE SAID THEY HAD TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS WAS NOT REALISTIC. CO THACH SAID THAT VIETNAM WAS QUITE WILLING TO HAVE NEGOTIATIONS ON THIS MATTER, AND WOULD LIKE TO SOLVE IT QUIETLY. THE FIRST STEP WAS TO REDUCE THE FLOW, AND THEN TO BRING IT TO A HALT. VIETNAM COULD ACCEPT THAT THE REFUGEES SHOULD RETURN, PERHAPS WITH SOME ASSISTANCE TO RE-ESTABLISH THEM. WITHOUT THAT THEY WOULD SIMPLY LEAVE AGAIN. THEY WOULD BE WILLING TO HAVE BILATERAL TALKS IF WE THOUGHT IT USEFUL. OR IF WE DID NOT WANT THAT, THEY WOULD TALK TO THE UNCHR. THEY INTENDED TO HAVE TALKS ON THE MATTER WITH THE THAI AUTHORITIES.
8.
·
THE SECRETARY OF STATE ASKED ABOUT THE NEW ECONOMIC POLICIES IN VIETNAM. CO THACH SAID THAT HE WAS CONFIDENT THAT THEY COULD SOLVE THEIR ECONOMIC PROBLEMS BUT THAT IT WOULD REQUIRE 2 OR 3 YEARS. THEY HAD BEEN VERY GOOD ON THE BATTLEFIELD BUT VERY POOR IN THE ECONOMIC FIELD. THEY HAD PAID A HIGH PRICE FOR THEIR IGNORANCE, BUT THEY HAD LEARNED SOME LESSONS. BE MAJOR CHANGES. THEY HAD TO STOP THE PROCESS OF SUBSIDISATION AND ACHIEVE ECONOMIC PRICES. AT PRESENT 27
PER CENT OF ALL THEIR BUDGET
THERE WOULD
WAS GOING ON SUBSIDY. THE SECRETARY OF STATE COMMENTED THAT IT
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CONFIDENTIAL
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