RESTRICTED
FM BANGKOK
TO DESKBY 150930Z FCO
TELNO 373
OF 150345Z JUNE 88
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
INFO ROUTINE HANOI
316
YOUR TELNO 1532 TO HONG KONG.
FROM HMA HANOI.
1.
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TOP COPY Q DIST ?
HKD 243/8
THIS WILL NO DOUBT CROSS WITH CHARGE D'AFFAIRES
REPORTING TELEGRAM.
326
136000
MDHIAN 3393
2. I CALLED ON PHUONG AS PLANNED ON 13 JUNE, SPOKE IN ACCORD WITH INSTRUCTIONS AND LEFT WITH HIM A COPY OF SPEAKING NOTE. PHUONG, ALTHOUGH HE KNEW IN ADVANCE SUBJECT OF CALL, WAS VERY CAUTIOUS: IT WAS CLEAR THAT HE HAD NOT YET HAD A SUBSTANTIVE REPORT OF HIS MINISTER'S MEETING IN NEW YORK WITH YOU.
HE MADE NO COMMENT OF SUBSTANCE BUT PROMISED TO PUT THE ISSUE UP
TO THE APPROPRIATE HIGHER AUTHORITY. INTERESTINGLY PERHAPS
HE WAS NOT AS NEGATIVE AS CO WAS LAST WEEK ABOUT RESETTLEMENT OF REPATRIATED ILLEGAL EMIGRANTS BUT EMPHASISED THE LIKELIHOOD OF RETURNEES SEEKING TO LEAVE AGAIN AS SOON AS THEY COULD. AT THAT I UNDERLINED THE IMPORTANCE OF GETTING THE MESSAGE OVER TO THE GENERAL POPULATION THAT A TRIP TO HONG KONG WOULD NO LONGER
BE ON A ONE WAY TICKET.
3. PHUONG URGED THAT WE SPEAK FURTHER ON THE SUBJECT WITH THE HEAD OF CONSULAR DEPARTMENT: I PROMISED THAT MR PARTRIDGE WOULD
DO SO.
4.
DURING A CALL ON THE VIETNAMESE AMBASSADOR TO THAILAND, LE MAI, YESTERDAY WITH HMA BANGKOK I SPELLED OUT THE PROBLEM
AND DESCRIBED THE NEW POLICY. I THINK MAI WAS RATHER TAKEN
ABACK BY THE SIZE OF THE CURRENT FLOW. HE PROMISED TO RAISE THE MATTER WITH MR THACH WHO ARRIVES HERE TODAY FOR AN OFFICIAL VISIT.
5. COMMENT.
I THINK ALL I CAN SAY IS THAT THE MESSAGE WAS SUCCESSFULLY
DELIVERED AND TO ALL APPEARANCES FULLY UNDERSTOOD. WHETHER IT WILL LEAD TO POSITIVE ACTION BY THE VIETNAMES GOVERNMENT OR A
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