TNAG-1797-FCO40-2557-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 94

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

FM WASHINGTON

TO DESKBY 20080OZ FCO

TELNO 2518

OF 19231OZ OCTOBER 88

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

MICD 243/8

2:0 OCT 1988

INFO ROUTINE BANGKOK, OTTAWA, CANBERRA, TOKYO

Q GIST ?

875

037333

MDHIAN 8184

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG

SUMMARY

1.

STATE ALERT US THAT THEY FAVOUR DISCUSSION LED BY THE UK

ON THE ISSUE OF REPATRIATION AT THE NOVEMBER MEETING OF THE INTER-GOVERNMENTAL COORDINATING GROUP (ICG) IN TOKYO. THEY ALSO FLOAT THE IDEA INFORMALLY OF A FOLLOW-ON VISIT BY ICG EXPERTS TO HONG KONG TO LOOK AT THE SCREENING PROCESS. WE HAVE BEEN INVITED TO A MEETING OF THE ICG CONTACT GROUP HERE ON 21 OCTOBER. REQUEST FOR PRELIMINARY GUIDANCE.

DETAIL

2.

WHEN WE BRIEFED THE REFUGEE PROGRAMMES BUREAU AT STATE ABOUT THE LATEST ROUND OF TALKS WITH THE VIETNAMESE, STATE RAISED WITH US THE NEXT MEETING OF THE ICG (WHICH HAS APPARENTLY BEEN ARRANGED FOR 14 AND 15 NOVEMBER IN TOKYO: AS BEFORE WE WOULD BE INVITED AS OBSERVERS). THERE IS TO BE A MEETING HERE OF THE ICG CONTACT GROUP (DESK OFFICERS FROM EMBASSIES) ON 21 OCTOBER TO WHICH WE HAVE JUST BEEN INVITED (FOR THE FIRST TIME).

3. STATE TELL US THAT THEY INTEND TO PROPOSE AT THE CONTACT GROUP MEETING THAT A MAJOR PART OF THE NOVEMBER ICG AGENDA SHOULD BE DEVOTED TO THE ISSUE OF REPATRIATION, ON THE GROUNDS THAT THIS HAS BEEN THE MAJOR DEVELOPMENT SINCE THE OTTAWA ICG. STATE ALSO BELIEVE THAT IT WOULD BE RIGHT TO ASK US TO LEAD SUCH A DISCUSSION, AND PERHAPS TO CIRCULATE A PAPER ON THE HONG KONG/VIETNAM TALKS ADVANCE.

IN

4. OUR CONTACT IN STATE ALSO FLOATED THE IDEA (IT WAS NOT CLEAR WHETHER THIS WAS MORE THAN HIS OWN IDEA) THAT OFFICIALS ATTENDING THE TOKYO MEETING MIGHT IF CONVENIENT GO ON TO HONG KONG TO TALK TO THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES AND TO HAVE A FIRST HAND LOOK AT THE SCREENING PROCESS.

5.

WE NEED TO BEAR IN MIND IN ALL THIS THAT THE STATE DEPARTMENT REMAIN UNEASY ABOUT THE BILATERAL NEGOTIATIONS THAT HONG KONG AND MALAYSIA HAVE CONDUCTED WITH THE VIETNAMESE. THEIR PROPOSAL FOR DISCUSSION IN THE ICG MAY WELL BE INTENDED TO TRY TO GET THINGS BACK ONTO A MULTILATERAL FOOTING (AND THEREBY TO GIVE THEM A MORE DIRECT ROLE).