CONFIDENTIAL
1.26637 MDHIAN 9155
BILATERAL. VIETNAM HAD NOT EXPRESSED AN OPINION ON THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE PROPOSED BY MALAYSIA AND STRONGLY SUPPORTED BY THAILAND. UNHCR'S OFFER (PARA 8 OF BANGKOK TUR) TO PROMOTE MULTILATERAL
DISCUSSIONS HAD BEEN DELIBERATELY VAGUE: IT COULD BE AN INFORMAL
MEETING WITH ASEAN AND HONG KONG ONLY OR ALSO WITH DONOR/RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES. A PLAN OF ACTION WOULD BE NEEDED BY DECEMBER 1988 FOR A CONFERENCE IN EARLY 1989. THAILAND WOULD BE PREPARED TO CONVENE INFORMAL MEETINGS OF FIRST ASYLUM COUNTRIES, RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES, AND POSSIBLY ALSO VIETNAM. KAMPUCHEAN AND LAOTIAN REFUGEES/DISPLACED PERSONS WOULD NEED TO BE ON THE AGENDA. DE MELLO HAD TOLD VIETNAM THAT UNHCR WERE READY TO HOLD ANOTHER DISCUSSION AT ANY TIME, PARTICULARLY AFTER THE HONG KONG AND MALAYSIAN BILATERALS. A MORE MULTILATERAL APPROACH MIGHT BE NEEDED
AFTER SEPTEMBER.
10. WE WELCOME THE TOUGH LINE DE MELLO HAD TAKEN ON REPATRIATION OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS (PARA 2 OF FCO TELNO 1990) AND STRESSED THE NEED NOT TO RAISE EXPECTATION PREMATURELY (PARA 2 OF FCO TELNO 1988 TO HONG KONG). THE AUSTRALIAN REPRESENTATIVE ASKED ABOUT VOLUNTARY RETURNS: WE REINFORCED DE MELLO'S REPLY BY QUOTING SECTION E OF HONG KONG TELNO 2881.
SANKEY
YYYY
DISTRIBUTION
126
ΜΑΙΝ
123
.VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HK
SPD
LIMITED
FED
HKD
NEWS
SEAD
UND
LEGAL ADVISERS
WED
SED
PUSD
ECD (I)
ECD (E)
PS
PS/LORD GLENARTHUR
PS MR EGGAR
PS/PUS
MR GILLMORE
MR SLATER
MR MCLAREN
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