TNAG-1803-FCO40-2563-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-talks-between-the-UK--Hong-Kon-1988 — Page 144

CONFIDENTIAL

010135

MDHOAN 6422

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELNO 2658

OF 111245Z OCTOBER 88

AND TO IMMEDIATE HANOI, UKMIS GENEVA

INFO PRIORITY BANGKOK, KUALA LUMPUR, SINGAPORE

TOP COPY COPY

HKD 243/15

FROM MCLAREN

MY SECOND IPT: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG: SECOND ROUND OF TALKS WITH VIETNAM

DAY ONE: EFFORTS TO STOP THE OUTFLOW

SUMMARY

1. EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION ON ACTION BEING TAKEN TO STOP THE

OUTFLOW. DETAIL

2.

KHOAN SAID THAT THE VIETNAMESE HAD TAKEN ACTION SINCE THE FIRST ROUND IN SIX AREAS TO DETER QUOTE ILLEGAL UNQUOTE DEPARTURES VIETNAMESE FOR HONG KONG.

(A) THE PRINCIPLE AGENCIES IN HANOI HAD MET AT A HIGH LEVEL TO DISCUSS MEASURES TO DETER ILLEGAL DEPARTURES FROM VIETNAM. FOLLOWING THE MEETING LOCAL AUTHORITIES HAD BEEN REQUESTED TO STRENGTHEN THEIR MEASURES AGAINST SUCH DEPARTURES.

(B) THE VIETNAMESE HAD USED THE DOCUMENTS THAT WE HAD SUPPLIED TO PUBLICISE THE POLICIES THAT NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES HAD ADOPTED TOWARDS VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE. THEY HAD ALSO PUBLICISED OTHER DECISIONS. THESE ACTIONS HAD BEEN TAKEN SO THAT THOSE INTENDING TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY ILLEGALLY UNDERSTOOD THAT IT WOULD NOT BE EASY FOR THEM.

(C) THEY HAD CONTINUED TO PUNISH THE ORGANISERS OF ILLEGAL DEPARTURES. IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF 1988, 299 CASES CONCERNING ILLEGAL ORGANISERS HAD BEEN TAKEN TO COURT. THIS COMPARED WITH 301 SUCH CASES IN THE WHOLE OF 1987. KHOANG EMPHASISED THAT THEY HAD ONLY TAKEN TO COURT THOSE ORGANISERS WHO HAD SERIOUSLY VIOLATED VIETNAM'S LAWS, NOT (NOT) THOSE WHO HAD MADE THE MISTAKE OF LEAVING.

(D) THE VIETNAMESE HAD TRIED TO ACCELERATE THE ODP PROGRAMMES, WHICH THEY FAVOURED. IN 1988 588 PEOPLE HAD APPLIED TO GO TO THE UK, AND THE VIETNAMESE HAD FULLY PROCESSED 233 CASES. THEY DID NOT EXPECT ANY DIFFICULTIES WITH THE REMAINDER. THEY HAD ALSO PROCESSED 40,192 APPLICATIONS FOR FAMILY REUNIFI-

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