A
HKD 243/8
98.
Mr McLaren
PS/Lord Glenarthur
PS
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279
REEN 1316
CR19/6
FROM:
DATE:
DH Colvin, SEAD
9 June 1988
Miss Stativ
CC:
Mr Gilmore
Mr Hum, HKD UND
тра
News Dept
INDO-CHINESE REFUGEES: MINISTERIAL CONTACT WITH THE VIETNAMESE EMBASSY
Problem
1. Should we, and if so at what level, brief the Vietnamese Embassy on our impending policy change over arrivals of Indo-Chinese boat people in Hong Kong?
Recommendation
2. I recommend that Lord Glenarthur invites the Vietnamese Ambassador to call, briefs him on the changes, and urges the Vietnamese authorities to accept the return of those screened out. HKD concur.
Background and Argument
it
3. Since the Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia in 1979, has been our policy to limit Ministerial contact with the Vietnamese Embassy. The seriousness of the refugee situation in Hong Kong, and the need for Vietnamese cooperation in dealing with it, coupled with the fact that the Secretary of State has now met Mr Nguyen Co Thach (FCO telegram no 138 to Hanoi) seem sufficienty powerful reasons to relax the policy, at least in this instance.
By expressing our concerns at Ministerial level, the Vietnamese will be left in no doubt about the importance we attach to their cooperation.
4. That said, there is a risk that a call at Ministerial level could mislead the Vietnamese into believing that we are signalling a return to "business as usual". This risk may be increased by the call coming hard on the heels of the Secretary of State's encounter with Thach in New York. Indeed the Vietnamese may be tempted to go further and see this as implicit acceptance of Thach's suggestion that we pursue the issue of refugee repatriation through bilateral discussions. In fact, we may well prefer to tackle this on a multilateral basis, particularly if aid is to be a factor. Finally, the Vietnamese may seek a considered answer to Thach's question about how we could contribute to a
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