TNAG-1793-FCO40-2553-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 51

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CONFIDENTIAL

HKD 243/8

(362

157443

MDHOAN 8718

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELNO 1604

OF 21093OZ JUNE 88

AND TO PRIORITY HANOI

TOP a Dist

INFO ROUTINE UKMIS GENEVA, BANGKOK, JAKARTA, SINGAPORE INFO ROUTINE KUALA LUMPUR, PEKING, WASHINGTON

-3S2

YOUR TELNO 2336: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: DISCUSSIONS WITH

VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT

1.

WE ENTIRELY UNDERSTAND THE WEIGHT YOU GIVE IN YOUR TELEGRAM TO THE SUBSTANTIVE AND PRESENTATIONAL REASONS FOR MAINTAINING THE DIALOGUE WITH THE VIETNAMESE. WE ALSO RECOGNISE THE NEED TO FIND AN APPROPRIATE WAY FORWARD, BUILDING IN PARTICULAR ON CO THACH'S APPARENT WILLINGNESS TO CONSIDER THE RETURN OF SCREENED OUT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, PERHAPS WITH SOME ASSISTANCE TO RE-ESTABLISH THEM.

2.

WE TOO HAVE BEEN GIVING THOUGHT TO THE NEXT STEPS AFTER

GILLMORE'S MEETING WITH THE VIETNAMESE AMBASSADOR. THE DIFFICULTY IN THE SHORT TERM, AS YOU KNOW, IS THAT TALKS ON REPATRIATION WOULD INEVITABLY BECOME LINKED TO THE QUESTION OF

AID.

THIS IS OF COURSE A DIFFICULT AREA FOR US (AND FOR OTHERS, PARTICULARLY THE AMERICANS). THE PROSPECT OF AID COULD ARGUABLY

BE REGARDED AS A CARROT WITH WHICH TO MAKE THE VIETNAMESE

COOPERATE OVER REPATRIATION. BUT BY THE SAME TOKEN THE

VIETNAMESE COULD USE THE REPATRIATION TALKS AS A LEVER WITH WHICH

PRISE CONCESSIONS ON AID BEFORE WE ARE READY TO AGREE THEM. 3.

WE FEAR TOO THAT DISCUSSIONS WOULD ALMOST CERTAINLY BECOME

BOGGED DOWN IN WIDER ISSUES SUCH AS CAMBODIA. THE TACTICAL

BALANCE COULD WELL BE IN VIETNAM'S FAVOUR. THE PROSPECTS FOR

EARLY PROGRESS WOULD NOT (NOT) BE GOOD.

4.

IN ANY CASE WE HAVE ALWAYS TAKEN THE VIEW THAT MULTILATERAL

ACTION WOULD BE A MORE EFFECTIVE WAY OF PUTTING PRESSURE ON VIETNAM. AS YOU KNOW, AS A RESULT OF DECISIONS IN THE ICG CONTEXT,

UNHCR HAVE OPENED DISCUSSIONS WITH VIETNAM ON REPATRIATION, INCLUDING THE CONCEPT OF MODEST AID THROUGH UNHCR CHANNELS ON A HIGHLY TARGETED BASIS. ALTHOUGH MINISTERS HAVE NOT BEEN FORMALLY CONSULTED, WE WOULD NOT EXCLUDE PARTICIPATION IN ASSISTANCE WHICH TOOK THIS FORM. BUT WE SHALL NEED TO CONSIDER VERY CAREFULLY THE EXACT MODALITIES FOR PROVIDING AID. IN

PARTICULAR WE MUST AVOID THE DANGER THAT WE CREATE A NEW QUOTE

PULL FACTOR UNQUOTE BY GIVING A POSITIVE INCENTIVE TO INDIVIDUALS

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