TNAG-1787-FCO40-2547-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-general-1988 — Page 138

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Ο U.ST 2 121660

HUD 243/5-

MDLIAN 4103

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FM BANGKOK

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 356

OF 090751Z JUNE 88

AND TO ROUTINE HANOI, PEKING, HONG KONG, WASHINGTON, UKMIS GENEVA AND TO ROUTINE SINGAPORE, KUALA LUMPUR, JAKARTA, MANILA, BRUNEI AND TO ROUTINE CANBERRA, OTTAWA

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES

SUMMARY

1.

LOCAL PRESS REPORT THAIS TO DISCUSS REFUGEE PROBLEM WITH VIETNAMESE FROM 11 TO 13 JULY. THAIS WILL RAISE ODP AND HALT- ING THE FLOW OF ILLEGAL EMIGRANTS.

DETAIL

2. THE E/L DAILY BANGKOK POST CARRIES A FRONT PAGE REPORT IN ITS EDITION OF 9 JUNE QUOTING THAI AMBASSADOR TO THE US, NITYA PIBUL SONGGRAM, SPEAKING AT AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CURRENTLY BEING HELD IN WASHINGTON, AS SAYING THAT THAI AND VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS WILL HOLD DISCUSSIONS FROM 11 13 JULY IN VIETNAM

ON THE REFUGEE PROBLEM. IN ADDITION TO ASKING THE VIETNAMESE TO ENHANCE THE ORDERLY DEPARTURE PROGRAMME (ODP), AND TO STEM THE TIDE OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, NITYA IS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT THE LONG TERM SOLUTION TO THE REFUGEE PROBLEM IN THE REGION WOULD REQUIRE A QUOTE SET OF STRUCTURES UNQUOTE DIFFERENT FROM THOSE AGREED DURING THE 1979 GENEVA CONFERENCE. NITYA IS REPORTED AS SAYING THAT ASEAN ARE LOOKING FOR A PACKAGE OF MEASURES IN- CLUDING: SCREENING, REPATRIATION, AND HALTING THE FLOW OF EMIGRANTS. HE EMPHASISED THE DIFFICULTY FOR ASEAN OF MAINTAINING THE PRINCIPLE OF FIRST ASYLUM SHOULD SUCH A PACKAGE NOT BE

AGREED UPON.

COMMENT

3.

NITYA WOULD APPEAR TO BE REFLECTING THE LATEST THAI THINK- ING ON THE REFUGEE PROBLEM (BEAN'S LETTER TO SEAD OF 6 JUNE). ALTHOUGH THE PROPOSED MEETING WITH VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS COMES SOONER THAN WE HAVE BEEN LED TO EXPECT, SIGNIFICANTLY THE DATES PROPOSED WILL STILL ALLOW THIS ISSUE TO BE FIRST DISCUSSED BY

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