TNAG-1797-FCO40-2557-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 88

878

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нко 24318

061301

MDHOAN 7523

COPY

DIST?

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO DESKBY 270100Z HONG KONG

TELNO 2793

OF 261415Z OCTOBER 88

AND TO DESKBY 27010OZ BANGKOK

87

Ons

HONG KONG TELNO 3944: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: REPATRIATION

ARRANGEMENTS

1.

WE WERE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR THOUGHTS ON TECHNICAL ARRANGEMENTS.

WE AGREE THAT IT WILL BE FOR THE UNHCR AND THE VIETNAMESE TO THRASH

OUT MOST OF THESE POINTS BILATERALLY.

2.

PARA 3 OF TUR. WE AGREE WITH YOUR OBJECTIVE AS STATED IN

FIRST SENTENCE AND SEE POTENTIAL FOR PROGRESS IN A TRIPARTITE

DISCUSSION IN BANGKOK. HOWEVER, UNHCR AND THE VIETNAMESE WILL CLEARLY NEED TO SPEND SOME TIME DISCUSSING THE ISSUES BILATERALLY

FIRST AND OBVIOUSLY THEIR WISHES SHOULD BE RESPECTED.

3.

UKMIS GENEVA APPROACHED UNHCR ON 25 OCTOBER TO ASCERTAIN

THEIR VIEWS. BUT DE MELLO HAD ALREADY LEFT FOR BANGKOK.

THE UK/HK REPRESENTATIVES SHOULD THEREFORE PUT THE IDEA TO DE

MELLO IN BANGKOK, AS YOU SUGGEST EMPHASISING THAT THEY ARE WILLING TO PARTICIPATE AT ALL STAGES OF THE DISCUSSION IF THE UNHCR AND THE

VIETNAMESE WOULD FIND IT HELPFUL AND IN ANY CASE WOULD LIKE SOME

KIND OF TRIPARTITE DISCUSSION FOLLOWING THE BILATERAL TALKS.

HOWE

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.VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HK

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PS

PS/LORD GLENARTHUR

PS MR EGGAR

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