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FM FCO
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MKD 243/15
(as
013235 MDHOAN 6507
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
TO DESKBY 13010OZ HONG KONG
TELNO 2669
OF 121245Z OCTOBER 88
INFO IMMEDIATE HANOI, UKMIS GENEVA, BANGKOK, KUALA LUMPUR
INFO IMMEDIATE SINGAPORE,PEKING
FROM MCLAREN
MY TWO IPTS: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG: SECOND ROUND OF TALKS WITH VIETNAM
DAY TWO: AGREED PRESS STATEMENT
REPRESENTATIVES OF THE BRITISH AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENTS AND OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM MET IN LONDON ON 11 AND 12 OCTOBER 1988 FOR THE SECOND ROUND OF TALKS ON SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEMS CREATED BY THE NUMBER OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE TRYING TO ENTER HONG KONG SINCE THE INTRODUCTION OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT'S NEW POLICY ON 16 JUNE 1988. THE DISCUSSIONS TOOK PLACE IN A FRIENDLY AND CONSTRUCTIVE ATMOSPHERE. THE TWO SIDES REVIEWED PROGRESS IN IMPLEMENTING THE AGREEMENT REACHED AT THE FIRST ROUND OF TALKS IN HANOI ON 3 AND 4 AUGUST THAT REALISTIC AND EFFECTIVE MEASURES TO BRING THE OUTFLOW OF BOAT PEOPLE FROM VIETNAM TO AN END WERE URGENTLY REQUIRED. THEY AGREED THAT SOME PROGRESS HAD BEEN MADE IN STEMMING THE OUTFLOW BUT THAT IT WAS ESSENTIAL TO PERSIST IN THESE EFFORTS AND, IF NECESSARY, TO REINFORCE THEM IN ORDER THAT THEY SHOULD BE FULLY EFFECTIVE. THE TWO SIDES RECOGNISED THE VALUE OF THE ORDERLY DEPARTURE PROGRAMME AS THE MAIN CHANNEL FOR VIETNAMESE WHO WISH TO LEAVE VIETNAM IN ORDER TO SETTLE IN OTHER COUNTRIES. THEY CALLED ON OTHER COUNTRIES TO INCREASE THEIR EFFORTS TO ACCEPT VIETNAMESE ELIGIBLE FOR RESETTLEMENT FROM HONG KONG.
THE TWO SIDES ACCEPTED THE NEED FOR COMPREHENSIVE ARRANGEMENTS FOR VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE ARRIVING IN HONG KONG AFTER 15 JUNE 1988 WHO DO NOT QUALIFY FOR RESETTLEMENT IN OTHER COUNTRIES. BOTH SIDES AGREED TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE START ON PHASED RETURNS TO VIETNAM OF THOSE WHO HAVE ALREADY APPLIED TO RETURN. THE BRITISH SIDE HANDED OVER A LIST OF THOSE WHOSE DOCUMENTATION HAD BEEN
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