TNAG-1803-FCO40-2563-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-talks-between-the-UK--Hong-Kon-1988 — Page 201

CONFIDENTIAL

غاء

нко 2433lis

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MDHIAN 6604

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 3729

OF 061020Z OCTOBER 88

INFO PRIORITY HANOI, UKMIS GENEVA

(54

YOUR TELNO 2605: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG: PREPARATION FOR FORTHCOMING TALKS

1. WE APPRECIATE THE DIFFICULTIES IN PERSUADING THE VIETNAMESE

TO ACCEPT A COMPREHENSIVE ARRANGEMENT FOR THE RETURN OF ALL (ALL) NON-REFUGEES, WHICH IS WHY WE NEED TO BLUR THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN VOLUNTARY AND NON-VOLUNTARY RETURNEES.

2. WE ARE, THEREFORE, NOT IN FAVOUR OF UNDERLINING THIS DISTINCTION BY WAY OF A PHASED IMPLEMENTATION OF REPATRIATION USING VOLUNTARY RETURNEES AS THE DIVIDING LINE, OR SUGGESTIONS

TO THAT EFFECT, AS WE FEEL THIS WOULD UNDERMINE THE FULL IMPACT OF YOUR DRAFT SPEAKING NOTE FOR AGENDA ITEM 4.

3. WE SHOULD PORTRAY THE 300 APPLICATNS AS VOLUNTEERS IN THE SENSE THAT THEY ARE VOLUNTEERING FOR EARLY REPATRIATION.

WILSON

YYYY

ΜΑΙΝ

27

LIMITED

HKD

SEAD

N N N N

DISTRIBUTION

27

MR GILLMORE

MR MCLAREN

1

PAGE CONFIDENTIAL