TNAG-1796-FCO40-2556-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 57

CONFIDENTIAL

TOP COPY Q DICT ?

755

045473

MDHOAN 3686

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO DESKBY 07010OZ HONG KONG

TELNO 2268

OF 0710OOZ SEPTEMBER 88

AND TO DESKBY 07030OZ HANOI

INFO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA

733

RECEIVED

HKD 24318

REGISTRY

- 7 SEP 1988

SM OFICER

IN:

ons

OUR TELNO 2243: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG

Y

Adri

1. MINISTERS HAVE NOW AGREED THAT WE SHOULD BE PREPARED TO

CONTRIBUTE TO A UNHCR PROGRAMME TO PROVIDE MODEST ASSISTANCE TO

RETURNEES AND THEIR IMMEDIATE COMMUNITIES.

2. THE WAY IS NOW CLEAR FOR US TO PROPOSE A SECOND ROUND OF

TALKS TO THE VIETNAMESE. MCLAREN HAS SPOKEN TO CLIFT

ABOUT DATES.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO RECEIVING YOUR PROPOSALS ON THESE AND ON THE COMPOSITION OF YOUR TEAM. WE ENVISAGE THAT MCLAREN WILL LEAD.

3. WE SUGGEST THE NEXT STEP IS FOR HMA HANOI TO APPROACH THE

VIETNAMESE AT AN APPROPRIATELY HIGH LEVEL. HE SHOULD SAY THAT

FOLLOWING HIS CONSULTATIONS IN LONDON HE IS AUTHORISED TO SPEAK

ON THE FOLLOWING LINES:

A)

PROPOSE THAT THE SECOND ROUND OF TALKS TAKE PLACE IN

LONDON (DATES TO BE SUGGESTED AND COMPOSITION OF OUR TEAM TO BE CONFIRMED IN THE LIGHT OF YOUR PROPOSALS ON PARA 2 ABOVE):

B) RESTATE THE IMPORTANCE WE ATTACH TO VIETNAM TAKING EFFECTIVE MEASURES TO LIMIT DEPARTURES, AND TO AGREEMENT ON ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE RETURN TO VIETNAM OF ALL NON-REFUGEES:

C) WE ARE DISAPPOINTED AT THE CONTINUING HIGH RATE OF ARRIVALS IN HONG KONG. WE HOPE THAT THESE WILL BE QUICKLY AND SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED ON THE BASIS OF THE AGREEMENT

REACHED IN THE FIRST ROUND THAT THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES WOULD TAKE EFFECTIVE MEASURES TO LIMIT DEPARTURES.

D)

A COMPREHENSIVE AGREEMENT SHOULD INCLUDE THE RETURN OF ALL NON-REFUGEES. IN THE MEANTIME WE ARE KEEN TO MAKE EARLY PROGRESS BY RETURNING A SIGNIFICANT GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS. THE EARLY AND WELL-PUBLICISED RETURN OF THIS GROUP WOULD ASSIST THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES TO DISCOURAGE DEPARTURES. WE WILL MAKE

EVERY EFFORT TO ENSURE THAT VOLUNTEERS ARE QUICKLY PROCESSED AND THEIR NAMES AND DETAILS PASSED TO THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES FOR CONSIDERATION. WE HOPE THAT THE VIETNAMESE WILL AGREE PROMPTLY TO THE RETURN OF THESE VOLUNTEERS. SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS ON THIS FRONT WOULD CREATE FAVOURABLE CONDITIONS FOR THE NEXT ROUND. THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT ARE READY TO ASSIST IN MAKING ARRANGEMENTS

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