CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO
IMMEDIATE HANOI
TELNO 296
OF 09143OZ DECEMBER 88
нко 24318
GENEVATO
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, UKMIS GENEVA
(946,
(949)
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
asi
053763
MDHOAN 0836
953
YOUR TELNO 461, OUR TELNO 294 AND HONG KONG TELNO 4518 VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG: REPATRIATION
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(A)
WE HAVE THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS ON FIRST TUR:
PARA 1(A), SECOND LINE: QUOTE AGREED UNQUOTE IS INAPPROPRIATE FOR AN MOU AND SHOULD BE REPLACED BY QUOTE REACHED A COMMON POSITION UNQUOTE.
(B) PARA 2(B): IDEALLY WE WOULD LIKE THIS TO BEGIN WITH A STATEMENT THAT QUOTE IN PRINCIPLE THE VIETNAMESE SIDE WILL ACCEPT THE RETURN OF ALL VIETNAMESE IN HONG KONG WHO ASK TO RETURN TO VIETNAM UNQUOTE. THIS WOULD PLACE US ON A STRONGER FOOTING, BUT WOULD CLEARLY BE DIFFICULT TO ACHIEVE (SEE PARA 5 OF KUALA LUMPUR TELEGRAM NO 672 TO FCO). SUBJECT TO YOUR AND HONG KONG'S VIEWS, WE THINK IT WOULD BE WORTH TRYING BUT IF NECESSARY NOT PRESSING IT IN EXCHANGE FOR CONCESSIONS ELSEWHERE IN THE TEXT.
(C) PARA 2(B) AND 3(D): WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE POSSIBLE INCONSISTENCY BETWEEN THESE TWO PARAGRAPHS. IT SEEMS THAT SOME ON LISTS UNDER 2(B) MIGHT SUBSEQUENTLY BE DROPPED FROM QUOTE FINAL UNQUOTE LISTS UNDER 3(D). THIS OF COURSE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A POSSIBILITY UNDER THESE ARRANGEMENTS AS SEEN BY THE VIETNAMESE. BUT WE WOULD PREFER A TIGHTER PROVISION IN 3(D) AS FOLLOWS: QUOTE AFTER GETTING IN TOUCH WITH THOSE APPLICANTS WHOSE NAMES APPEAR ON THE LISTS REFERRED TO IN PARAGRAPH 2(B) OF THIS MEMORANDUM, THE VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS IN HONG KONG WILL DRAW UP A PLAN FOR THEIR RETURN IN GROUPS AND WILL ISSUE VIETNAMESE ENTRY PERMITS TO THEM. UNQUOTE. IF THIS CANNOT BE SECURED
WE WOULD BE PREPARED TO LIVE WITH THE TEXT AS DRAFTED, WHICH IS SUFFICIENTLY VAGUE FOR OUR PURPOSES.
(D) PARA 3C: WE SUGGEST THAT THIS WOULD BE CLEARER IF QUOTE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMME UNQUOTE WERE ADDED AFTER QUOTE UNHCR UNQUOTE.
(E) PARA 4A, LINE 3: WE SUGGEST ADDING QUOTE UNHCR UNQUOTE BEFORE QUOTE PACKAGE UNQUOTE TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT WE ONLY HAVE IN MIND CONTRIBUTING TO THE UNHCR PROGRAMME.
(F) PARA 4B: WE SUGGEST THIS SHOULD READ QUOTE THE BRITISH SIDE
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