TNAG-1803-FCO40-2563-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-talks-between-the-UK--Hong-Kon-1988 — Page 244

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 3697

OF 041205Z OCTOBER 88

INFO IMMEDIATE HANOI, BANGKOK, UKMIS GENEVA

37

162150 MDHIAN 6261

COPY

S

IST HKD 24

<D243/15

> SOCT 1987

BANGKOK : PLEASE PASS TO HMA HANOI

27

YOUR TELNO 2562: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG: PREPARATION

FOR FORTHCOMING TALKS

THANK YOU FOR TUR. WE BRIEFED EXCO ON THE OBJECTIVES OF THE

SECOND ROUND THIS MORNING.

2.

3.

WE AGREE WITH THE PROPOSED AGENDA FOR THE SECOND ROUND.

WE HAVE JUST ONE COMMENT CONNECTED WITH ITEM C : THE FIRST

RETURNEES. WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE NOTE OF CAUTION IN PARAGRAPH 2 OF HANOI TELNO 341, BUT THINK THAT WE MUST NEVERTHELESS SEEK TO OBTAIN SOME ASSURANCES FOR THE VIETNAMESE ABOUT THE TREATMENT OF

RETURNEES EVEN IF IT IS LINE GIVEN TO DE MELLO (PARAGRAPH 5 OF BANGKOK TELNO 510 TO YOUR) I.E. THAT THE LAW ON ILLEGAL DEPARTURES WOULD NOT BE STRICTLY ENFORCED, AND THAT FIRST OFFENDERS WOULD

RECEIVE NO MORE THAN AN ORAL WARNING. WE REFERRED TO THE

IMPORTANCE OF THIS POINT IN THE FIRST ROUND OF TALKS IN HANOI.

THE UNHCR AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY ARE UNLIKELY TO ACCEPT

ANY BILATERAL AGREEMENT REACHED WITH THE VIETNAMESE WITHOUT A

GUARANTEE ON THE TREATMENT OF RETURNEES.

WE WILL SEND DRAFT SPEAKING NOTES ON ITEMS (A) AND (B) AND THE

INFORMATION YOU REQUIRE FOR ITEM (C) AS SOON AS THEY ARE READY.

4.

WILSON

YYYY

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CONFIDENTIAL