TNAG-1797-FCO40-2557-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 208

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CONFIDENTIAL

нко 243/г

831

113630

MDHIAN 4477

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TELNO 3548

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

OF 201112Z SEPTEMBER 88

RECE

LISTHY

20 SEP 1988

TOP COPY Q DIST

Ow

INFO PRIORITY HANOI, UKMIS GENEVA, PEKING, WASHINGTON, BANGKOK

810

YOUR TELNO 211 TO HANOI: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE:

SECOND ROUND OF TALKS WITH THE VIETNAMESE

1. FOLLOWING THE ENDORSEMENT BY MINISTERS OF THE PRINCIPLE OF REINTEGRATION ASSISTANCE, IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL IF WE PUT FORWARD SOME THOUGHTS ON THE NEGOTIATING POSITION FOR THE SECOND ROUND OF TALKS WITH THE VIETNAMESE.

2. WE SUSPECT THAT THERE IS A LONG WAY TO GO BEFORE WE CAN CONCLUDE A SATISFACTORY AGREEMENT WITH THE VIETNAMESE. OUR BILATERAL EFFORTS

ARE STARTING TO FALL UNDER THE SHADOW OF THE ASEAN-SPONSORED

MULTI-LATERAL INITIATIVE. NEVERTHELESS WE THINK IT IMPORTANT TO

PERSEVERE BECAUSE:

A) WE HAVE LEGITIMATE BILATERAL CONCERNS

B) TO DELAY WHILE WAITING FOR A MULTILATERAL APPROACH TO REACH

FRUITION WOULD SEND THE WRONG SIGNALS (BOTH LOCALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY) ABOUT OUR COMMITMENT TO TACKLING THE PROBLEM, AND

C) ONE OF THE BEST HOPES FOR A MULTILATERAL APPROACH EVENTUALLY BEING SUCCESSFUL IS THAT WE SHOULD MAKE PROGRESS IN LEADING THE WAY.

3. PROGRESS AT THE SECOND ROUND IS LIKELY TO DEPEND TO A LARGE EXTENT

ON:

A) THE WILLINGNESS OF THE VIETNAMESE TO MOVE AWAY FROM THEIR RIGID POSITION ON ONLY PERMITTING VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION, AND

B) THE VIETNAMESE VIEW OF THE VALUE OF PRESSING AHEAD WITH THESE BILATERAL DISCUSSIONS RATHER THAN WAITING FOR MULTI-LATERAL DISCUSSIONS WITH ASEAN AND OTHERS.

4. THE MAIN INDUCEMENT FOR THE VIETNAMESE TO BE CONSTRUCTIVE ON BOTH POINTS IS LIKELY TO BE THE POSSIBILITY OF REINTEGRATION ASSISTANCE.

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