TNAG-1791-FCO40-2551-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 259

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- 8 FEB 1988

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045467

MDLOAN 1555

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FM FCO

TO ROUTINE BANGKOK

TELNO 83

OF 05162OZ FEBRUARY 88

INFO ROUTINE UKMIS NEW YORK, HANOI, MOSCOW, PARIS

INFO SAVING HONG KONG

THAI-LAO RELATIONS

p.a Ur/Repatriation

1. IVANOV, COUNSELLOR SOVIET EMBASSY, CALLED ON ADAMS SEAD ON 4 FEBRUARY TO RAISE CONTINUING THAI-LAO CONFLICT.

2-

HE WISHED TO DRAW OUR ATTENTION TO THE LAO GOVERNMENT STATEMENT OF 25 JANUARY (WHICH WE HAD ALREADY RECEIVED FROM THE LAO EMBASSY IN PARIS). THE SOVIET UNION SUPPORTED THE LAO STATEMENT AND HAD EXPRESSED THEIR DEEP CONCERN TO THE THAIS AND URGED THEM TO TAKE APPROPRIATE STEPS TO REACH A SOLUTION. THE USSR ALSO HOPED THAT HMG COULD TAKE THE NECESSARY STEPS TO HELP FACILITATE A POLITICAL SETTLEMENT.

3.

ADAMS TOOK NOTE. OUR WISH WAS TO SEE CONFLICTS LIKE THIS RESOLVED SENSIBLY. OUR AMBASSADOR TO THAILAND HAD VISITED THE

DISPUTED AREA AND BELIEVED THAT THE THAIS WISHED TO FIND A SOLUTION. WE WERE NOT OURSELVES IN A POSITION TO JUDGE THE

MERITS OF THE RESPECTIVE ARGUMENTS (ALTHOUGH THERE WAS SOME

EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THE THAI CLAIM) AND WERE NOT DISPOSED

TO INTERVENE. WE BELIEVED THE THAI AND LAO WERE CAPABLE OF

REACHING A SETTLEMENT THEMSELVES.

4. APART FROM A DISCUSSION OF CAMBODIA ON STANDARD LINES, ADAMS ALSO TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO RAISE THE QUESTION OF ECONOMIC

MIGRANTS IN HONG KONG. HE SAID THAT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF THE

SOVIET UNION WERE TO ENCOURAGE THE VIETNAMESE TO LOOK SERIOUSLY

AT THE PROBLEM AND TO CREATE SATISFACTORY CONDITIONS FOR REPATRIATION, PARTICULARLY OF CERTAIN CATEGORIES. IVANOV SAID THAT

IN HIS PERSONAL VIEW IT WAS AN INTERNAL MATTER FOR THE

VIETNAMESE. HE AGREED TO PASS A MESSAGE TO MOSCOW BUT WITHOUT

ENTHUSIASM.

HOW E

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