TNAG-1795-FCO40-2555-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 240

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

INTIAL

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ALTHOUGH THE PROPOSED INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE WOULD UNDOUBTEDLY TAKE IN THE KAMPUCHEANS AND LAOTIANS AS WELL.

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IN RESPECT OF A PREPARATORY CONFERENCE TO PREPARE FOR THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE, PRACHA MENTIONED THE MEETINGS :

A MEETING UNDER UNHCR AUSPICES INVOLVING THE ASEAN COUNTRIES ON

18/17 JULY (TO BE PRECEDED BY A MEETING OF THE ASEAN WORKING GROUP ON REFUGEES ON 17 JULY WHICH WILL ALSO REVIEW ON 20 JULY THE OUTCOME OF THE 18-19 JULY MEETING)

THIS MEETING MIGHT WELL INCLUDE HONG KONG.

THE THAIS ARE EXPECTING UNHCR TO SEEK FEED BACK ON THE VIETNAMESE ATTITUDE TO THAT MEETING ONCE THE RESULTS OF IT HAVE BEEN CONVEYED TO VIETNAM BY UNHCR.

THE THAIS WISH TO INVITE HONG KONG BUT ARE AWARE THAT HONG KONG IS HAVING A MEETING ON 18/19 JULY IN HANOI (NOW POSTPONED 0.LE71134 REFERS). THE THAIS ARE TRYING TO ENCOURAGE HONG KONG TO COME TO THEIR WORKING GROUP/INFORMAL MEETING BEFORE GOING TO HANOI IN ORDER TO MEET ASEAN CONCERNS THAT HONG KONG DOES NOT DO A SEPARATE DEAL ON REPATRIATION WITH VIETNAM, AT LEAST WITHOUT HAVING THE BENEFIT OF ASEAN VIEWS

IT IS THEN PROPOSED TO INCLUDE THE ASEAN, RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES AND DONOR COUNTRIES IN A MEETING WHICH IS TENTATIVELY SET FOR 18/19 AUGUST. THIS WOULD BE ANOTHER INFORMAL WORKING GROUP TYPE MEETING AND MAY INCLUDE VIETNAM, SUBJECT TO DEVELOPMENTS AT THAT TIME

IT WAS NOTED THAT AT THE AMM/PMC THE MALAYSIANS HAD OFFERED TO HOST THE PREPCOM FOR THE PROPOSED INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE.

IT WAS THOUGHT THAT THIS COULD NOT TAKE PLACE MUCH BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF DECEMBER BECAUSE OF DIFFICULTIES WITH THE AMERICAN ELECTION.

IT WAS RECOGNISED THAT THERE WAS A NEED TO HAVE A FAIRLY COMPLETE IDEA OF WHAT THE PACKAGE MIGHT LOOK LIKE IN SOME DETAIL BEFORE THE UNGA SESSION BEGAN 50 THAT ANY PROBLEMS OVER MATTERS OF DETAIL COULD BE ADDRESSED EARLIER RATHER THAN LATER.

THE THAIS ENVISAGE THAT THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE WOULD BE A SIMILAR TYPE OF MEETING TO THE 1979 CONFERENCE.

PRACHA COMMENTED THAT THE SPEED OF DEVELOPMENTS OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS WOULD DEPEND ON VIETNAM'S REACTION AND ITS WILLINGNESS TO COOPERATE.

RAFEEUDIN AHMED SEEMED OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE VIETNAMESE APPROACH.

HE SAID THACH HAD AGREED TO TWO THINGS

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