CONFIDENTIAL
35
161427
MDHIAN 6199
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HANOI
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 355
OF 04061OZ OCTOBER 88
HKD 243/1.5.
- 50CTE85
AND TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG'
TOP COPY
DIST ?
INFO PRIORITY KUALA LUMPUR, CANBERRA, BANGKOK, JAKARTA INFO PRIORITY BANDAR SERI BAGAWAN, SINGAPORE AND PEKING
22
HONG KONG'S TELNO 3635 OF 29 SEPT:
VIETNAMESE EFFORTS TO PREVENT DEPARTURES
/
1. PARA 4, I BELIEVE THAT ADAMS WAS REFERRING TO AN AUSTRALIAN TELEGRAM OF EARLY SEPTEMBER REFERRING TO A STATEMENT ON 1 SEPTEMBER BY MFA SPOKESPERSON. MRS LAN PRINCIPALLY TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO BLAME THE BOAT PEOPLE PROBLEM ON THE ''WAR THE LEGACY OF ECONOMIC BLOCKADE AGAINST VIETNAM AND THE ANTI VIETNAM PROPAGANDA OF THE ENEMY'
BUT SHE DID ALSO REPEAT THAT FAMOUS PIECE OF TAUTOLOGY, ''VIETNAM'S LAW PROHIBITS ILLEGAL DEPARTURES'' AND SHE ADDED THAT IN RECENT YEARS 4000 ATTEMPTED DEPARTEES OR THEIR ORGANIZERS HAD BEEN PROSECUTED. IN ADDITION THE STATE HAD ''INCREASED IDEOLOGICAL EDUCATION AND STRENGTHENED PATROLS ALONG THE COAST TO PREVENT ILLEGAL DEPARTURES'' THE TELEGRAM ALSO REFERRED TO A NHAN DAN ARTICLE OF 7 SEPTEMBER REFERRING TO AN ALLEGED ENCOUNTER BETWEEN BOAT PEOPLE AND THAI PIRATES.
·
2. THE AUSTRALIANS REMARKED THAT VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS HAVE CITED THE ABOVE AS PROOF OF THEIR DETERMINATION TO STOP DEPARTURES BUT THAT ONE PRESS CONFERENCE AND ONE ARTICLE DOES NOT AMOUNT TO MUCH.
3. AS WE HAVE PREVIOUSLY REPORTED, WHEN TALKING TO US THE VIETNAMESE ALSO REFER TO SUCH ARTICLES AS WELL AS THE PUBLICITY GIVEN TO THE BILATERAL TALKS ETC. AS EVIDENCE THAT THEY ARE TAKING STEPS
TO LIMIT DEPARTURES. IN OUR MOST RECENT DISCUSSIONS ON THE SUBJECT WE HAVE LEARNED NOTHING MORE.
PARTRIDGE
FCO PSE PASS HONG KONG, KUALA LUMPUR, CANBERRA, BANGKOK, JAKARTA FCO PSE PASS BANDAR SERI BAGAWAN, SINGPORE AND PEKING
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