TNAG-1795-FCO40-2555-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 366

CONFIDENTIAL

FM BANGKOK

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 469

OF 13092OZ JULY 88

CONFIDENTIAL

TOP COPY Q DIST ?

529

061621

MDLIAN 3191

HKD 243/8.

REC

18 JUL 1988

FILE:

AND TO PRIORITY HANOI, UKMIS

GENEVA, KONG KONG

~

AND TO ROUTINE KUALA LUMPUR, SINGAPORE, JAKARTA,

AND TO ROUTINE MANILA, BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

98

HONGKONG TELNO 2680: TALKS WITH VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT.

1.

IN LINE WITM PARA 5 OF TUR WE HAVE DISCUSSED THE GENERAL

QUESTION OF TALKS WITH THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT ABOUT VIETNAMESE REFUGEES, WITH KOBSAK CHUTIKUL, DIRECTOR, SOCIAL DIVISION OF

THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS.

2. KOBSAK REITERATED THE LINE HE TOOK WITH FRENCH

CHONG KONG) ON 12 JULY. HE EMPHASISED THAI CONCERN THAT THERE

SHOULD BE A MEETING BETWEEN HONG KONG AND VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS

IN ADVANCE OF THE UNHCR TALKS IN HANOI ON 20-23 JULY. OTHERWISE KOBSAK EXPLAINED, THIS WOULD AFFORD THE VIETNAMESE AN

OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY ONE COUNTRY OFF AGAINST ANOTHER.

IN ANY CASE HIS VIEW WAS THAT REPATRIATION WOULD NEED TO BE

THROUGH THE UNHCR. THUS HONG KONG WOULD BE UNABLE TO FINALISE

DETAILS OF ANY AGREEMENT THAT MIGHT BE REACHED WITH THE VIETNAMESE. KOBSAK FURTHER DOUBTED THAT ANY BILATERAL AGREEMENT THAT MIGHT BE REACHED COULD BE MAINTAINED.

3. KOBSAK WENT ON TO EXPLAIN THAT THE THAI, AND PRESUMABLY ASEAN, VIEW WAS THAT IT WOULD BE BETTER FOR HONG KONG TO ATTEND THE UNHCR SPONSORED MEETING IN BANGKOK ON 18-19 JULY.

THIS WOULD ALLOW ALL COUNTRIES OF FIRST ASYLUM IN THE REGION

TO DETERMINE THE PARAMETERS OF FUTURE TALKS WITH THE VIETNAMESE

ON REPATRIATION. KOBSAK EMPHASISED THAT HIS BELIEF

WAS THAT A SOLUTION TO THE REFUGEE PROBLEM WOULD NEED TO BE

BASED ON A REGIONAL RATHER THAN BILATERAL BASIS. HE FELT THAT CO-ORDINATION OF ALL REPATRIATION WOULD HAVE TO BE DONE BY UNHCR. SHOULD HONG KONG DECIDE TO ATTEND THE UNHCR MEETING NEXT WEEK, THEY WOULD SUBSEQUENTLY BE IN A BETTER POSITION TO HOLD TALKS WITH THE VIETNAMESE. UNHCR WILL BE PROVIDING BRIEFING ON AHMED'S VISIT TO VIETNAME, HOCKE'S TALKS WITH THACH

AND OTHER INFORMATION. IN LIGHT OF THIS MEETING UNHCR WOULD

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