FROM FILE 801/15/4
CONFID NT CONF I D NTI CONFID NTI
2-0.HN18266
444
START OF SUMMARY
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VIETNAM APPEARS READY FOR SUBSTANTIVE NEGOTIATIONS ON THE OUTFLOW. IT COULD MODIFY ITS CASE BY CASE APPROACH ON REPATRIATION, IF LINKED WITH 'FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE' OTHER LINES TO PURSUE INCLUDE A NON- DISCRIMINATION UNDERTAKING ON RETURNEES. BUT IT WILL BE UNPRODUCTIVE
IF DISCUSSION (EG AT THE ASEAN AMM) ASSUMES AN ANTI-VIETNAM ATTITUDE, REFLECTING WIDER POLITICAL MOTIVES. DEVELOPMENTS IN OTHER COUNTRIES' APPROACHES (EG ON SUPPORT FOR RETURNEES) WILL BE NECESSARY TO ELICIT VIETNAMESE COOPERATION.
END OF SUMMARY
AMBASSADOR SMITH VISITING FROM BANGKOK, TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY OF A DISCUSSION ON 22 JUNE WITH NGUYEN CAN, DIRECTOR OF THE ASIA UI (SOUTH-EAST ASIA AND PACIFIC) DEPARTMENT IN THE VIETNAMESE MFA, TO REINFORCE PREVIOUS AUSTRALIAN REPRESENTATIONS ON THE ILLEGAL MIGRATION OUTFLOW FROM VIETNAM.
SMITH NOTED THE OVERALL PATTERN OF AUSTRALIA'S PLANNED MIGRATION INTAKE OVER THE YEAR AHEAD AND OUR COMMITMENT TO THE SUCCESSFUL OPERATION OF THE VFMP.
HE ALSO STRESSED THE REGIONAL CONCERN, SHARED BY AUSTRALIA, AT THE RECENT CLANDESTINE OUTFLOW FROM VILTNAM TO THAILAND AND ELSEWHERE.
CAN RESPONDED POSITIVELY, NOTING IN PARTICULAR THAT VIETNAM WOULD BE PROSECUTING CORRUPT OFFICIALS' WHO HAD HELPED PAST CLANDESTINE
DEPARTURES.
ON THE SAME ISSUE, THE EMBASSY'S MIGRATION OFFICER WAS TOLD LAST WEEK BY THE THAI AMBASSADOR CHUCHAI KASEMSANN THAT THACH HAD TOLD HIS THAI COUNTERPART DURING THEIR RECENT DISCUSSIONS THAT SOME OFFICIALS HAD ALREADY BEEN PUNISHED.
CHUCHAI SAID THAT HE WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY REPORTING ON THIS IN THE VIETNAMESE PROUS: HE HAD TOLD THACH THAT HE THOUGHT THAT PUBLICATION MIGHT HAVE SOME DETERRENT EFFECT.
2. IN DISCUSSION ON 25 JUNE WITH THACH, WE SOUGHT DETAILS OF THE VIETNAMESE/THAI DISCUSSIONS ON 16/17 AND 20 JUNE WHICH HAVE REPORTEDLY LED TO AGREEMENT ON FURTHER BILATERAL DISCUSSIONS OF THE OUTFLOW PROBLEM. THACH'S RESPONSE INDICATED THE DIRECTION OF OVERALL VIETNAMESE THINKING ON CURRENT MIGRATION ISSUES.
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CONFIDENT
CONFIDENTIA CONFIDENTI
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