854
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HANOI
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 354
OF 0310OOZ OCTOBER 88
AND TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
CONFIDENTIAL
HKD 2 4 3/8
ни
4 OCT 19:00
157335
MDHIAN 6082
TOP COPY a DIST ?
TOD
INFO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA, KUALA LUMPUR, BANGKOK, SINGAPORE INFO PRIORITY JAKARTA, MANILA BANDAR SERI BAGAWAN, CANBERRA, INFO PRIORITY OTTAWA, TOKYO, WASHINGTON, PEKING
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: VISIT TO VIETNAM OF UNHCR DELEGATION
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SERGIO VIEIRA DE MELLO, HEAD OF THE UNHCR ASIA-PACIFIC DEPARTMENT CONDUCTED A SECOND ROUND OF BILATERAL TALKS WITH THE VIETNAMESE ON 28 AND 29 SEPTEMBER. HE THEN LEFT FOR HO CHI MINH CITY WITH THE LOCAL UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE. AT THE APPARENT SUGGESTION OF THE VIETNAMESE I WAS INVITED TO A DINNER THAT HE HOSTRD FOR THE TWO DELEGATIONS ON 29 SEPTMBER AND HAD A BRIEF OPPORTUNITY AFTERWARDS TO DISCUSS THE CONTENT OF THE TALKS. UHCR HAVE SO FAR NOT GIVEN ANY OTHER BRIEFING LOCALLY,
2. THE TLKS CENTRED AROUND THE MODALITIES OF RETURNS AND CONSEQUENTLY A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE MINISTRY OF LABOUR, DISABLED SOLDIERS AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS WAS INCLUDED IN THE VIETNAMESE DELEGATION. DE MELLO DID NOT GO INTO DETAILS BUT HE HOPES TO PRODUCE A PAPER IN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO WHICH MIGHT EVENTUALLY TURN INTO A DRAFT MOU COVERING GENERAL PRINCIPLES. SUBJECTS COVERED INCLUDDED THE HUMANITARIAN TREATMENT OF RETURNEES, THE SCOPE AND LIMITS OF UNHCR MONITORING OF THEIR FATE, TRANSIT CENTRES, MATERIAL REINTEGRATION ASSISTANCE ETC. ON THE LAST POINT I UNDERSTAND FROM THE LOCAL UNHCR REPRESENTA ATIVE THAT THE VIETNAMESE HAD MADE REALISTIC DEMANDS. THEY TALKED ABOUT TIME LIMITED FOOD AID AND MODEST POCKET MONEY FOR INDIVIDUALS TOGETHER WITH LIMITED ASSISTANCE TO SOME COMMUNITIES WHERE RELEVANT BUT NOT LARGER SCALE ASSISTANCE TO WHOLE DISTRICTS OR PROVINCES AS THEY HAVE DONE BEFORE (CF THACH'S LETTER IN JUNE). THE VIETNAMESE RATHER SUPRISED THE UNHCR TEAM BY SAYING THAT THEY DID NOT WISH TO DISCUSS THE LEVEL OF REINTEGRATION ASSISTANCE IN DETAIL UNTIL THEY HAD FINISHED THE NEXT ROUND OF TALKS WITH US. DE MELLO SAID THAT HE WAS NOT CERTAIN WHAT WAS MEANT BY THIS.
3. THE TWO SIDES DID NOT DWELL ON THE ISSUE OF VOLUNTARISM. THE VIETNAMESE ADOPTED VERY MUCH THE SAME LINE THAT TIN RECENTLY USED WITH ME (OUR TELNO 343 OF 27 SEPT REFERS NOT TO ALL) SAYING THAT
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