TNAG-1803-FCO40-2563-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-talks-between-the-UK--Hong-Kon-1988 — Page 202

RESTRICTED

FM BANGKOK

TO ROUTINE FCO

TELNO 668

OF 06090OZ OCTOBER 88

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MKO 243/1s

58

172513

MDLIAN 3077

OPY

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DIOT ?

AND TO ROUTINE HONG KONG, HANOI, KUALA LUMPUR, JAKARTA, SINGAPORE AND TO ROUTINE PEKING, WASHINGTON, CANBERRA, TOKYO, OTTAWA AND TO ROUTINE UKMIS GENEVA

YOUR TELNO 454: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE SECOND ROUND OF TALKS.

1. ACTION TAKEN WITH KASIT PIROMYA, DIRECTOR GENERAL, INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS DIVISION, MFA ON 6 OCTOBER. KASIT SEEMED QUITE RELAXED ABOUT THE FORTHCOMING TALKS AND RAISED NO SPECIFIC POINTS ON THE MEETING. HE ENCOURAGED US, HOWEVER, TO PRESS THE VIETNAMESE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE NEXT EXPANDED ASEAN WORKING GROUP MEETING (28 OCTOBER), THE SUBSEQUENT WORKING GROUP MEETING AND THE PREPCON (PREPARATORY CONFERENCE).

2. KASIT WAS UNBRIEFED ON ARRIVAL RATES OF

VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE. BUT HE WAS SCEPTICAL THAT THE VIETNAMESE WERE ACTIVELY DISCOURAGING ILLEGAL DEPARTURES. HE COMMENTED THAT THE UNHCR BRIEFING ON DE MELLO'S RECENT VISIT TO HANOI HAD REFERRED TO VIETNAMESE WILLINGNESS TO AGREE TO AN ODP TARGET OF 50,000 DEPARTURES IN 1989. KASIT THOUGHT THAT THIS, IF IMPLEMENTED, WOULD HELP TO EASE ILLEGAL DEPARTURES.

3. UNHCR TELL US THAT JUST UNDER 100 VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE LANDED IN THAILAND IN AUGUST, AND 128 IN SEPTEMBER. ALL HAVE BEEN TRANSFERRED TO THE UNHCR DISPLACED PERSONS CAMP IN SITE 2 (BANTHAD). THERE ARE NO FIGURES FOR THOSE THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN QUOTE REDIRECT UNQUOTE.

4. KASIT CONFIRMED VIETNAMESE DELEGATION WOULD BE VISITING

KUALA LUMPUR ON 14/15 NOVEMBER. THEY WOULD DISCUSS BILATERAL RELATIONS AND REFUGEE MATTERS.

TONKIN

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