TNAG-1793-FCO40-2553-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 75

CONFIDENTIAL

FELLD 243/8 ния

ра

35

146174

MDHIAN 3830

·CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 2336

OF 171115Z JUNE 88

+

INFO PRIORITY HANOI

INFO ROUTINE BANGKOK, JAKARTA, SINGAPORE, KUALA LUMPUR

INFO ROUTINE PEKING, WASHINGTON, UKMIS GENEVA

HELD 24315

60

ниб 2435

55

YOUR TELNO 138 TO HANOI. MY TELNO 237 AND YOUR TELNO 147 TO HANOI: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: DISCUSSIONS WITH VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT

1. GILLMORE'S DISCUSSION WITH THE VIETNAMESE AMBASSADOR ON

15 JUNE WAS A VERY HELPFUL CONTINUATION OF THE DIALOGUE WITH THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT. I HOPE THAT IT WILL BE POSSIBLE TO KEEP UP

THE PRESSURE AND TO ENGINEER FURTHER CONTACTS TO WHICH SOME

PUBLICITY COULD THEN BE GIVEN.

2. I FULLY APPRECIATE THE DIFFICULTY OF MAKING SUBSTANTIVE

PROGRESS ON REPATRIATION WITH THE VIETNAMESE IN THE SHORT-TERM.

HOWEVER THERE ARE STRONG PRESENTATIONAL REASONS FOR OUR BEING ABLE

TO DEMONSTRATE FOR CONSUMPTION BOTH IN HONG KONG AND AMONG POTENTIAL BOAT PEOPLE, THAT WE ARE TRYING TO EXPLORE THE QUESTION IN A PRACTICAL WAY. THIS NEEDS TO BE SEEN AGAINST THE BACKGROUND OF THE

INITIAL AND WIDELY REPORTED REACTIONS TO THE NEW POLICY OF THE FIRST BOAT ARRIVALS ON 16 JUNE. MOST WERE REPORTED AS SAYING THAT

THEY WOULD PREFER TO BE DETAINED INDEFINITELY IN HONG KONG RATHER

THAN LIVE IN VIETNAM UNDER PRESENT CONDITIONS. IF WE WERE ABLE TO SAY PUBLICLY THAT AT LEAST INITIAL DISCUSSIONS ON THE PROBLEM

OF REPATRIATION WERE UNDERWAY WITH THE VIETNAMESE IT WOULD HELP

TO ADD TO THE DETERRENT EFFECT OF THE NEW POLICY.

3. YOU MAY WISH TO CONSIDER WHETHER HANOI COULD BE INSTRUCTED TO

FOLLOW UP GILLMORE'S DISCUSSION WITH THE VIETNAMESE AMBASSADOR

AND PARTRIDGE'S CALL ON THE MFA CONSULAR DEPARTMENT CHANOI TELNO 218) WITH A PROPOSAL WHICH WOULD WELCOME CO THACH'S READINESS TO NEGOTIATE AND SUGGEST DATES TO START EXPLORATORY TALKS.

4. THIS WOULD THEN ENABLE LORD GLENARTHUR TO SAY DURING HIS VISIT

LATER THIS MONTH THAT DISCUSSIONS WITH VIETNAM ON REPATRIATION ARE

CONTINUING.

5. SUCH AN APPROACH WOULD ALSO PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PATRIDGE

1

PAGE

CONFIDENTIAL

Page 75Page 76