TNAG-1797-FCO40-2557-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 303

HICD 24318

ECH

13 SEP 1988

793

RESTRICTED

FM BANGKOK

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 627

OF 130834Z SEPTEMBER 88

RESTRICTED

IND

·FFICER

PA

AND TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, KAMPALA

REGISTRY

Jasen

066472

MDHIAN 3315

TOMS TOP COPY

DIST 7

AND TO PRIORITY HANOI, UKMIS GENEVA, KUALA LUMPUR, SINGAPORE AND TO PRIORITY MANILA, WASHINGTON, BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, OTTAWA AND TO PRIORITY CANBERA.

KAMPALA FOR PS/FOREIGN SECRETARY

187

HONG KONG TELNO 3418 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES : RUN-UP TO INTERNATIONAL

CONFERENCE

SUMMARY

1.

MORE DETAILS OF MEETING BETWEEN ASEAN AND ICG REPRESENTATIVES ON 16 SEPTEMBER. NEITHER UNHCR NOR THE THAIS HAVE OBJECTIONS TO

HONG KONG REPRESENTATIVE ACCOMPANYING THEIR BRITISH COLLEAGUES TO

MEETING.

DETAIL

2. UNHCR CONVENED AN INFORMAL MEETING ON 12 SEPTEMBER TO DISCUSS

THE PROPOSALS FOR DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN THE ASEAN WORKING GROUP AND

ICG REPRESENTATIVES ON 16 SEPTEMBER. AT THIS MEETING THE THAIS SUGGESTED THAT THERE SHOULD BE TALKS LASTING BETWEEN ONE AND HALF AND TWO HOURS ON THE AFTERNOON OF 16 SEPTEMBER. THESE TALKS SHOULD FOCUS ON THE CHRONOLOGY FOR PROGRESS TOWARDS AN INTERNATIONAL CON- FERENCE (BROADLY ALONG THE LINES REPORTED IN OUR TELNO 622). THIS

WOULD BE FOLLOWED BY A WORKING DINNER THE SAME EVENING AT WHICH

THERE COULD BE FURTHER DISCUSSIONS. THOSE WISHING TO HAVE FURTHER

TALKS COULD DO SO INFORMALLY BY ACCOMPANYING THE ASEAN WORKING

GROUP ON A VISIT TO PANAT NIKHOM REFUGEE CAMP ON 17 SEPTEMBER.

3.

THE THAIS APPEAR TO BE KEEN AT THIS STAGE TO KEEP THE MEET-

ING ON 16 SEPTEMBER FAIRLY SMALL AND INFORMAL. REPRESENTATIVES FROM UNHCR, THE US, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, JAPAN AND THE UK HAVE BEEN INVITED, BUT THE THAIS RESISTED ATTEMPTS BY THE US TO EXPAND THE MEETING TO ASEAN DIALOGUE PARTNERS.

4. UNHCR REPRESENTATIVES HERE (JAMBOR) TOLD US THAT THE UNSG'S

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