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FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 2659
OF 111915Z OCTOBER 88
INFO IMMEDIATE HANOI, UKMIS GENEVA
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
INFO ROUTINE BANGKOK, KUALA LUMPUR, SINGAPORE
010143 MDHOAN 6425
HKD 243/15
FROM MCLAREN
MY THIRD IPT:
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG: SECOND ROUND
OF TALKS WITH VIETNAM
DAY ONE: COMPREHENSIVE SETTLEMENT
SUMMARY
1. REASONABLY ENCOURAGING EXCHANGE ON THE ELEMENTS TO BE INCLUDED IN A COMPREHENSIVE SETTLEMENT.
DETAIL
2. KHOAN SAID THAT HIS DELEGATION HAD PREPARED DRAFT PROPOSALS FOR A COMPREHENSIVE SOLUTION (THIS TURNED OUT TO BE A DRAFT COMMUNIQUE), ON WHICH THEY WOULD WELCOME OUR VIEWS. I SAID THAT WE LOOKED FORWARD TO STUDYING THEIR DRAFT AND WOULD HOPE TO GIVE
I THEN THEM OUR PRELIMINARY REACTIONS BEFORE THE END OF THE DAY. GAVE A SUMMARY OF THE ELEMENTS WE CONSIDERED SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN A COMPREHENSIVE ARRANGEMENT. THE RETURN TO VIETNAM OF ALL BOAT PEOPLE WHO WERE NOT REFUGEES WAS THE ONLY PATH TO FOLLOW. UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW, EVERY GOVERNMENT HAD THE RIGHT TO DECIDE WHICH ALIENS COULD ENTER ITS TERRITORY. IT WAS STANDARD INTERNATIONAL PRACTICE TO RETURN TO THEIR OWN COUNTRY THOSE WHO ENTERED ILLEGALLY. FURTHERMORE WE BELIEVED THAT THE RETURN OF THOSE WHO WERE NOT REFUGEES WAS THE HUMANE COURSE OF ACTION. THOSE BOAT PEOPLE WHO HAD ARRIVED IN HONG KONG AFTER 16 JUNE AND WHO DID NOT MEET REFUGEE CRITERIA HAD NO PROSPECT AT ALL OF RESETTLEMENT. THE ONLY OPTIONS FOR THEM WERE EITHER THEIR PROMPT RETURN TO VIETNAM, OR INDEFINITE DETENTION IN HONG KONG UNTIL THEY WERE RETURNED. I SAID THAT WE WERE VERY CONSCIOUS THAT HONG KONG WAS NOT ALONE IN FACING A SITUATION OF PEOPLE WHO COULD NOT BE RESETTLED ELSEWHERE. A SPEEDY DEMONSTRATION THAT VIETNAM WAS WILLING TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM WOULD HAVE A VERY FAVOURABLE IMPACT ON VIETNAM'S INTERNATIONAL IMAGE. MOREOVER, WELL PUBLICISED ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE PROMPT RETURN TO VIETNAM OF THOSE WHO WERE NOT REFUGEES WOULD BE A MOST EFFECTIVE DETERRENT AGAINST FUTURE CLANDESTINE DEPARTURES AND WOULD SUPPLEMENT THOSE MEASURES ALREADY TAKEN BY THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES.
3.
AGAINST THAT BACKGROUND WE CONSIDERED THAT A COMPREHENSIVE
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