CONFIDENTIAL
HKD 243/8
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
022525
MDHIAN 5976
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HANOI
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 244
OF 05040OZ JULY 88
AND TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: CHANGE IN HONG KONG POLICY
SUMMARY
1. VIETNAMESE PROPOSE BILATERAL TALKS, POSSIBLY AT VICE MINISTERIAL LEVEL, WITH HONG KONG GOVERNMENT TO SEEK SOLUTION TO REFUGEE PROBLEM IN HONG KONG.
DETAIL
2. YESTERDAY AFTERNOON I CALLED ON HOANG QUOI TIN, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF CONSULAR DEPARTMENT MFA TO TALK FURTHER ABOUT HONG KONG'S CHANGE OF POLICY AND ILLEGAL DEPARTURES. TIN TOOK THE WIND OUT OF MY SAILS BY SAYING THAT THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS HAS NOW DECIDED TO SEEK SOME KIND OF SOLUTION TO THE REFUGEE PROBLEM. CONSEQUENTLY REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT ARE INVITED TO COME HERE TO NEGOTIATE THE RETURN OF VIETNAMESE IN HONG KONG. TIN SAID THAT THE VIETNAMESE TEAM MIGHT BE HEADED BY A VICE FOREIGN MINISTER (PRESUMEABLY DEPENDING ON OUR OWN RESPONSE) AND THAT THE BEST TIME WOULD BE MID JULY.
3. I TRIED TWICE TO GET TIN TO EXPAND ON WHAT
EXACTLY THE VIETNAMESE HAVE IN MIND BUT HE SAID THAT HE WAS NOT AUTHORISED TO SAY ANY MORE AT THIS STAGE.
4. TIN SAID THAT THE SAME KIND OF APPROACH WILL BE MADE TO OTHER CONCERNED COUNTRIES SUCH AS THAILAND AND THAT THE UNHCR WILL ALSO SHORTLY BE INFORMED OF WHAT IS AFOOT.
5. I UNDERSTAND FROM UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE THAT HE IS BEING BRIEFED LATER TODAY AND MORE DETAILS MAY EMERGE. IF NOT DO YOU WISH ME TO REVERT TO VIETNAMESE ON INSTRUCTIONS TO FIND OUT JUST A LITTLE MORE ABOUT WHAT THEY HAVE IN MIND BEFORE YOU DECIDE BEST WAY FORWARD?
PARTRIDGE
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