TNAG-1791-FCO40-2551-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 123

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CONFIDENTIAL

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052425

MDHIAN 4727

HULD 243/8

CONFIDENTIAL

FM KUALA LUMPUR

TO IMMEDIATE OTTAWA

TELNO 3

OF 07081OZ APRIL 88

AND TO IMMEDIATE BANGKOK, FCO AND HANOI

FOLLOWING FOR REILY, MEMBER OF BRITISH DELEGATION TO ICG FROM ADAMS

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES

1. RAZALI, ACTING PERMANENT SECRETARY AT THE MALAYSIAN MFA, TOLD ME LAST NIGHT THAT THE ASEAN SENIOR OFFICIALS MEETING CONSIDERED THIS QUESTION IN BANGKOK EARLIER THIS WEEK. THEY AGREED IN PRINCIPLE TO MAKE A JOINT ASEAN APPROACH TO THE VIETNAMESE TO PROTEST AT THE INCREASING OUTFLOW OF REFUGEES. MALAYSIA IS PARTICULARLY CONCERNED BECAUSE VIETNAMESE REFUGEES TURNED BACK BY THAIS ARE NOW ARRIVING

IN MALAYSIA.

2. RAZALI MENTIONED THAT THE MALAYSIANS CONSIDERED THAT THE UNHCR WERE NOT TAKING A TOUGH ENOUGH LINE IN THEIR DISCUSSIONS WITH THE VIETNAMESE. I SAID THAT THIS WAS ALSO OUR IMPRESSION AND THAT WE HAD SOUGHT TO STIFFEN THEIR RESOLVE (MY GENEVA VISIT IN JANUARY).

I URGED RAZALI TO TACKLE HOCKE ABOUT THIS WHILE HE IS IN KUALA LUMPUR

THIS WEEK.

3. YOU MAY CARE TO DRAW ON THE ABOVE IN THE ICG DISCUSSIONS.

SPRECKLEY

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LEGAL ADVISERS

HKD

MR GILLMORE

MR SLATER