TNAG-1797-FCO40-2557-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 268

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FM KUALA LUMPUR

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AND TO PRIORITY HONG KONG, BANGKOK

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES

нко 24318

1 INI..

15 SEP 1988

OFFICER

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074424

MDLIAN 6851

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1. THE STAR NEWSPAPER TODAY HAS REPORTED DATUK ABU HASSAN, THE MALAYSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER, AS SAYING THAT BRITAIN, WHO WOULD REPRESENT HONG KONG, HAD AGREED TO PARTICIPATE QUOTE

IN THE PREPARATORY TALKS ON REFUGEES AND IN THE INTERNATIONAL

MEETING NEXT YEAR. UNQUOTE. HE ALSO SAID THAT THE INTERNATIONAL

MEETING WOULD DECIDE ON WHAT TO DO WITH REFUGEES WHO REFUSED

TO RETURN TO VIETNAM. WE HAVE ASKED THE MFA DESK OFFICER FOR

CLARIFICATION.

2. A BU HASSAN IS ALSO REPORTED AS SAYING THAT THE GOVERNMENT

WOULD NOT ANNOUNCE THE CLOSURE OF THE REFUGEE CENTRE AT PULAU

BIDONG UNTIL THE DAY BEFORE OR THE DAY OF CLOSURE IN ORDER TO

PREVENT AN INFLUX OF REFUGEES TRYING TO MEET THE DEADLINE. THE

CABINET COMMITTEE ON REFUGEES HAD NOT YET DECIDED ON THE DATE

OF CLOSURE, AND THEY WERE ALSO PREPARING FOR VIETNAM'S REPATRIATION OF BOAT PEOPLE.

SPRE CK LEY

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.VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HK

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