CONFIDENTIAL
065213
MDHIAN 7616
REASON TO DOUBT VIETNAM'S OWN EXPLANATION OF THE WISH TO SETTLE THE REFUGEE PROBLEM WITH THE LIKES OF THAILAND AND HONG KONG.
3. I THINK THEREFORE THAT WE WILL FIND THE VIETNAMESE TOUGH NEGOT-
IATORS BUT REASONABLY STRAIGHT. I THINK THAT THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS
WILL ALREADY HAVE ACCEPTED THE NEED TO ACCEPT THE RETURN OF BOAT
PEOPLE (I NOTE THAT THE THAIS ALSO SEEM TO THINK THIS: BANGKOK'S
TELNO 469 OF 13 JULY REFERS) AND THAT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO FOCUS
THE TALKS ON PRACTICALITIES. NOT THAT WE SHALL HAVE AN EASY TIME.
I DO NOT THINK THAT THE VIETNAMESE SEE EYE TO EYE WITH US OVER THE PREVENTION OF ILLEGAL DEPARTURES BY PUBLICISING HONG KONG'S CHANGE
OF POLICY AND THEY MIGHT BE AWKWARD ABOUT INVOLUNTARY REPATRIATION.
THEY ALSO ARE LIKELY TO SUGGEST AS PART OF A PACKAGE INVOLVING BOAT
PEOPLE RETURNING TO VIETNAM THAT THE PRESENT RESSETTLEMENT
COUNTRIES ACCEPT MORE. THEY WILL BE FIRM ON THE NEED FOR AID TO ASSIST RESSETTLEMENT BUT WILL, I THINK, QUITE EASILY ACCEPT THAT THIS SHOULD BE CHANNELLED THROUGH UNHCR. I DO NOT THINK THAT THEY
WILL MAKE A SERIOUS ATTEMPT TO USE THE BOAT PEOPLE ISSUE AS A LEVER''
TO EXTRACT BROADER CONCESSIONS ON AID IN ADVANCE OF A SATISFACTORY SETTLEMENT OF THE CAMBODIA ISSUE. THEY KNOW FULL
WELL WHAT OUR REACTION TO THIS WOULD BE.
4. WE SHALL NEED TO BE FIRM AND TOUGH BUT I SUGGEST SLIGHTLY LESS CONFRONTATIONAL THAN YOU INDICATE IN YOUR TUR. IN PARTICULAR AS
IT SEEMS THAT THE VIETNAMESE HAVE INDEED ACCEPTED THE BASIC PRINCIPLE OF REPATRIATION, THE OVEREMPHASIS OF THE POINTS IN PARAS 2A AND 2B OF YOUR TUR, HOWEVER TRUE THEY MAY BE, WOULD IN MY OPINION BE COUNTERPRODUCTIVE.
PARTRIDGE
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
125
DISTRIBUTION
128
.VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HK
LIMITED
HKD
SEAD
SPD
FED
NEWS
PS
UND
LEGAL ADVISERS
PAGE
2
CONFIDENTIAL
PS/LORD GLENARTHUR
PS MR EGGAR
Page 345Page 346
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