CONFIDENTIAL
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TOP COPY @ DIST ?
076550
MOLIAN 4448
HKD 243/8
CONFIDENTIAL
FM WASHINGTON
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 1784
OF 212155Z JULY 88
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, HANOI
RECEN
22 JUL 1988
ICEH
PA
INL
N
INFO ROUTINE SINGAPORE, MANILA, JAKARTA, BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN INFO ROUTINE CANBERRA, OTTAWA, TOKYO, PEKING, UKMIS GENEVA INFO ROUTINE KUALA LUMPUR, BANGKOK
HONG KONG TELNO 2791: TALKS IN HANOI ON VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE
SUMMARY
1.
THE AMERICANS ARE ALSO WATCHING THE EVOLUTION OF HANOI'S
APPROACH TO THE REFUGEE ISSUE WITH CLOSE INTEREST. NOT SURPRISINGLY, THEY TEND TO BE AT THE SCEPTICAL END OF THE SPECTRUM ON WHETHER RECENT VIETNAMESE MOVES REFLECT A MAJOR CHANGE OF HEART. BUT CO-OPERATION HAS IMPROVED IN SEVERAL AREAS.
DETAIL
2. WE HAVE RECENTLY BEEN OVER THE GROUND WITH THE REFUGEE
PROGRAMS BUREAU AT STATE: RECENT AMERICAN EXPERIENCE MAY BE
USEFUL AS BACKGROUND TO THE TALKS ΙΝ ΗΑΝΟΙ. STATE SHARE THE
ASSESSMENT IN PARA 3 OF YOUR TELNO 1859 TO HONG KONG AND AGREE THAT ONE OF VIETNAM'S MAIN MOTIVES IS PROBABLY A WISH TO FIND OUT
WHAT IS ON OFFER FROM THE WEST IN TERMS OF AID AS A QUID PRO QUO FOR GREATER FLEXIBILITY ON REFUGEE ISSUES. THEY AGREE TOO THAT A
CAUTIOUS APPROACH IS THEREFORE IN ORDER.
3. THAT SAID, STATE NOTE THAT THE VIETNAMESE HAVE BEEN MORE WILLING TO CO-OPERATE WITH THEM ON PRACTICAL ISSUES OVER THE LAST YEAR. IN PARTICULAR THEY POINT TO:
(I) VIETNAM'S AGREEMENT EARLIER THIS YEAR TO THE RESUMPTION OF AN ODP PROGRAMME TO THE US
(II) THE ACCELERATED RETURN TO THE US OF REMAINS OF US MIAS. A FURTHER 25 SETS OF REMAINS WERE HANDED OVER EARLIER THIS MONTH, AND THE VIETNAMESE HAVE JUST OFFERED TO WORK JOINTLY WITH THE US
IN INVESTIGATING CRASH SITES IN VIETNAM: STATE HAVE WELCOMED THIS AS AN ENCOURAGING DEVELOPMENT.
(III) PUBLIC AGREEMENT BY VIETNAM, ALSO EARLIER THIS MONTH, THAT THEYWDULD ALLOW THOSE RELEASED FROM RE-EDUCATION CENTRES AND THEIR CLOSE FAMILY TO EMIGRATE TO THE US (A LONG-RUNNING BONE OF
CONTENTION)
(IV) MOST RECENTLY, VIETNAM'S PROMPT ASSISTANCE IN RETURNING THE THREE US NAVY PILOTS RESCUED FROM THE SOUTH CHINA SEA (ALTHOUGH
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CONFIDENTIAL
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