TNAG-1796-FCO40-2556-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 289

CONF IDENTIAL

нко 24318.

RECEIVLI

19 AUG 1988

DESK OFFICER

IND:

PA

670

174726

MDHOAN 2631

N

"SHO AND

offen

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE KUALA LUMPUR

TELNO 372

OF 18153OZ AUGUST 88

AND TO PRIORITY HANOI, BANGKOK, UKMIS GENEVA, PEKING

YOUR TELNO 411: VISIT OF MALAYSIAN DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER TO HANOI

1. YOU WILL HAVE SEEN FROM OUR TELNO 2095 TO HONG KONG THAT WE

ARE PREPARING OUR POSITION FOR THE NEXT ROUND OF TALKS WITH THE

VIETNAMESE ON REPATRIATING VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG. AT A MEETING THIS MORNING BETWEEN DAVID GILLMORE AND THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG, IT WAS AGREED THAT IT WOULD BE USEFUL IF

BE USEFUL IF YOU COULD

CALL ON THE MALAYSIAN DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER BEFORE HE DEPARTS FOR

HANOI IN ORDER TO IMPRESS ON HIM THE IMPORTANCE WE ATTACH TO AN

EARLY SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM.

2.

WE ASSUME THAT YOU HAVE ALREADY BRIEFED THE MALAYSIANS ON THE FIRST ROUND OF TALKS, AS REQUESTED IN OUR TELNO 2070 TO HONG KONG. WE THINK IT WOULD BE USEFUL IF YOU COULD GO OVER THE

GROUND AGAIN BRIEFLY WITH GHAFAR BABA TO ENSURE THAT HE UNDERSTANDS WHERE WE HAVE TO GOT TO WITH THE VIETNAMESE. THE ESSENTIAL POINT WHICH WE WOULD LIKE YOU TO GET ACROSS IS THAT, IN OUR VIEW, VIETNAM MUST SHOW THAT IT IS SENSITIVE TO THE PROBLEMS WHICH THE OUTFLOW OF BOAT PEOPLE IS CAUSING TO ITS REGIONAL

NEIGHBOURS IF ITS INTERNATIONAL STANDING IS TO IMPROVE. ALTHOUGH THE VIETNAMESE HAVE, NO DOUBT DELIBERATELY, OFFERED BILATERAL

TALKS ON THE BOAT PEOPLE PROBLEM WITH THE COUNTRIES OF THE REGION, THERE IS NO QUESTION OF THEIR BEING ABLE TO PLAY OFF ONE COUNTRY AGAINST ANOTHER. VIETNAM'S DESIRE FOR INTERNATIONAL RESPECTABILITY IS THE ONLY REAL LEVERAGE WHICH WE HAVE OVER THEM IN THIS MATTER AND THEY ARE NOT GOING TO ACHIEVE IT WITHOUT

SQUARELY FACING UP TO THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES BY TAKING EFFECTIVE

STEPS TO STOP THE OUTFLOW AND AGREEING TO TAKE BACK THOSE

SCREENED OUT AS ECONOMIC MIGRANTS.

3. FOR YOUR OWN INFORMATION, WHILE WE WANT THE ASEAN COUNTRIES (AND THE UNHCR AND THE RE-SETTLERS) TO STAY IN TOUCH OVER THE REPATRIATION QUESTION, WE WANT TO KEEP OUR HANDS FREE TO DO A DEAL WITH THE VIETNAMESE, PROBABLY IN THE FIRST INSTANCE, INVOLVING VOLUNTARY RETURNEES ONLY, AS SOON AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.

IF SUCH A DEAL BECOMES AVAILABLE, WE WOULD NOT WISH TO BE DELAYED IN STRIKING IT BY A PREVIOUS COMMITMENT TO CONSULT WITH OTHERS, STILL LESS TO SECURE THEIR AGREEMENT. THAT SAID, THERE IS NO REASON TO BELIEVE THAT FIRST ASYLUM COUNTRIES SUCH AS

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CONFIDENTIAL