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MKD 243/1S
ко
SC
167236
MDHIAN 6485
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FM UKMIS GENEVA
TO
IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 585
OF 051525Z OCTOBER 88
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
INFO PRIORITY HANOI
TOP COPY
IST ?
HANOI TELNO 354: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: UNHCR/VIETNAM TALKS
SUMMARY
HKCD 243/8854
1. UNHCR DEBRIEFED ON OUTCOME OF TALKS IN HANOI. ACTION TAKEN IN VIETNAM TO PREVENT ILLEGAL DEPARTURES, BUT CONTINUING DIFFICULTIES. VIETNAM UNLIKELY TO TAKE FIRST BATCH OF RETURNEES UNTIL LATE 1988.
UNHCR WILL DRAW UP PROTOCOL COVERING BASIC PRINCIPLES OF REPATRIATION PROGRAMME AND DEFINING UNHCR'S ROLE. VIETNAMESE DEMANDS FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE BROADLY ACCEPTABLE. COSTS, PENDING APPEAL TO DONORS, COULD BE FOUND FROM UNHCR'S OWN RESOURCES. POTENTIAL PITFALLS FOR UNHCR'S INVOLEMENT IN REPATRIATION PROGRAMME.
DETAIL
2. VIEIRA DE MELLO (UNHCR'S ASIA BUREAU) BRIEFED US ON 4 OCTOBER ON
OUTCOME OF TALKS IN HANOI LAST MONTH. HE WILL BE GIVING LESS
DETAILED BRIEFING TO OTHER ICG AND ASEAN LOCAL MISSIONS THIS WEEK.
3. AT OPENING OF TALKS IN HANOI, VIETNAMESE GAVE VIEIRA DE MELLO ACCOUNT OF BILATERAL DISCUSSIONS WITH UK/HONG KONG IN AUGUST. THEY
DREW ATTENTION TO OUTSTANDING ISSUES, PRINCIPALLY
VOLUNTARY/INVOLUNTARY REPATRIATION AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.
VIETNAMESE COMMENTED THAT THEY HOPED TO REACH AGREEMENT WITH UK/HONG KONG ON LINES OF RECENT AGREEMENT WITH MALAYSIA, WHICH THEY SAW AS A GOOD RESULT. AGREEMENT WITH MALAYSIA WOULD BE FOLLOWED UP BY EARLY
VISIT TO KUALA LUMPUR TO DISCUSS TECHNICALITIES.
4.
VIETNAMESE EMPHASISED THAT THEY HAD TAKEN FIRM ACTION INTERNALLY
TO STEM FLOW OF VBPS. LOCAL AUTHORITIES HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED TO
PREVENT ILLEGAL DEPARTURES AND CHANGED ATTITUDE OF FIRST ASYLUM
COUNTRIES IN THE REGION HAD BEEN PUBLICISED. AS FAR AS VIETNAM WAS CONCERNED, ODP PROGRAMME WOULD BE MAINTAINED AND DEVELOPED AS A PRIORITY. THE LABOUR AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS MINISTRY HAD BEEN DESIGNATED
TO HANDLE RECEPTION AND REINTEGRATION OF RETURNEES. VIETNAMESE SIDE EMPHASISED, HOWEVER, CONTINUING RESISTANCE IN BOTH CENTRAL AND LOCAL
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