TNAG-1803-FCO40-2563-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-talks-between-the-UK--Hong-Kon-1988 — Page 157

CONFIDENTIAL

82

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO DESKBY 1201UOZ HONG KONG

TELNO 2653

OF 11180OZ OCTOBER 88

INFO IMMEDIATE HANOI, UKMIS GENEVA

INFO ROUTINE BANGKOK, KUALA LUMPUR, SINGAPORE

007424 MDHOAN 6403

OP COPY

DIST ?

MKD243/15

FROM MCLAREN

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

VIETNAM

DAY 1 : DISCUSSION OF DRAFT PRESS STATEMENT

SUMMARY

1.

PROVISIONAL AGREEMENT ON TEXT OF STATEMENT COVERING OUR MAIN REQUIREMENTS.

2. DURING THE AFTERNOON WE DISCUSSED A POSSIBLE PRESS STATEMENT ON THE BASIS OF DRAFTS EXCHANGED BEFORE LUNCH. THE VIETNAMESE AGREED TO WORK ON THE BASIS OF THE FRAMEWORK IN OUR DRAFT. THE TEXT PROVISIONALLY AGREED SUBJECT TO FURTHER STUDY IS IN MIFT.

THE MAIN POINTS AT ISSUE WERE:-

3.

(A) THE QUESTION OF VOLUNTARISM. WE PROPOSED WORDING SPECIFYING THAT COMPREHENSIVE ARRANGEMENTS SHOULD INCLUDE THE RETURN TO VIETNAM OF BOAT PEOPLE WHO HAD BEEN FOUND BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT NOT TO BE REFUGEES: AND GOING ON TO SAY THAT A START SHOULD BE MADE WITH THOSE WHO HAD ASKED TO GO BACK. THE VIETNAMESE OBJECTED TO THIS, MAINTAINING THAT THEY COULD NOT ACCEPT A SPECIFIC REFERENCE TO THE RETURN OF ALL THOSE SCREENED OUT.

IN

WE ARGUED THAT, WHILE BOTH SIDES HAD A COMMON INTEREST IN ENCOURAGING AS MANY VOLUNTARY RETURNEES AS POSSIBLE, THERE WERE TO BE A NUMBER LEFT OVER AND WE MUST INDICATE IN THE COMMUNIQUE A JOINT READINESS TO TACKLE THE OVERALL PROBLEM. THE END, WE SETTLED ON THE WORDING IN THE FIRST SENTENCE OF PARAGRAPH 3 OF MIFT, WHICH, I BELIEVE, MEETS OUR REQUIRE- MENT SATISFACTORILY. IT IS CLEAR THAT WE CANNOT EXPECT TO GET ANY MORE PRECISE UNDERTAKING AT THIS STAGE.

(B) FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. THE VIETNAMESE PROPOSED A REFERENCE TO THE DIRECT PROVISION OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE BY HMG BUT MADE NO DIFFICULTY ABOUT THE INSERTION OF THE NEED FOR SUCH ASSISTANCE

TO BE CHANNELLED THROUGH UNHCR.

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CONFIDENTIAL