TNAG-1803-FCO40-2563-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-talks-between-the-UK--Hong-Kon-1988 — Page 191

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HANOI

TO DESKBY 07090OZ FCO

TELNO 363

OF 07053OZ OCTOBER 88

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

CONFIDENTIAL

66

175312 MDHIAN 6710

TOP

HKD 243/15

80

YOUR TELNO'S 233 AND 235 :

VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE TALKS

1. I CALLED ON TIN, MFA YESTERDAY AFTERNOON AND HANDED OVER THE PROPOSED AGENDA. HE PROMISED TO SUBMIT IT IMMEDIATELY. HE COMMENTED OFF THE CUFF THAT BEFORE DISCUSSING ITEM 3 (FIRST RETURNEES), THERE WOULD HAVE TO BE DISCUSSION OF PRINCIPLES. ON BEING PRODDED HE SAID THAT HE HAD IN MIND THE PRINCIPLES IN THE FIFTH POINT OF THE AGREEMENT WITH MALAYSIA I.E. THAT THE RETURNEES WERE VOLUNTEERS AND THAT SOME ASSISTANCE WOULD BE OFFERED. I DEMURRED BUT AVOIDED SUBSTANTIVE DISCUSSION.

2. TIN CONFIRMED THAT THE VIETNAMESE DELEGATION WOULD LEAVE TODAY AND ARRIVE AT HEATHROW ON SUNDAY MORNING. HE CLEARLY HOPED THAT THEY WOULD BE MET AND TAKEN TO THEIR ACCOMMODATION. ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT THIS WAS NOT WHAT YOU HAD IN MIND, I SAID THAT IT WAS FOR THE VIETNAMESE EMBASSY TO MEET AND ARRANGE ACCOMMODATION. HMG WOULD PAY SUBSISTENCE. GRATEFUL IF THE MONEY COULD BE HANDED OVER AT AN EARLY STAGE (BY PARTRIDGE PERHAPS) AND THE CONCEPT OF SUBSISTENCE EXPLAINED. IT WOULD ALSO HELP AVOID PROBLEMS IF YOU WERE TO SPELL OUT IN ADVANCE TO THE EMBASSY WHAT THE SUBSISTENCE RATE IS SO THAT THEY DO NOT BOOK AN INAPPROPRIATELY EXPENSIVE HOTEL.

3. THE DELEGATION WILL CONSIST OF KHOAN CAN, TIN AND HUNG (AS IN HANOI TELNO 357). SEE MIFT FOR BIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS.

I MET HUNG FOR THE FIRST TIME YESTERDAY. HIS ENGLISH WILL JUST ABOUT DO.

4. TIN CONCLUDED OUR DISCUSSION WITH A REQUEST THAT WE

PROVIDE ''STRICT SECURITY'' FOR THE DELEGATION IN VIEW OF THE ACTIVITIES OF CERTAIN REFUGEES IN THE UK. WHETHER OR NOT THE VIET- NAMESE EMBASSY HAS RAISED THE MATTER WITH YOU, WE SHOULD REGARD THIS AS A FORMAL REQUEST AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION.

DAVIES