TNAG-1803-FCO40-2563-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-talks-between-the-UK--Hong-Kon-1988 — Page 27

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FM UKMIS GENEVA

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 622

OF 211647Z OCTOBER 88

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HKD 243/15

OCT

org

TOP Q DIST

(137

MDHIAN

045102

8515

INFO IMMEDIATE BANGKOK, HANOI, HONG KONG, KUALA LUMPUR INFO IMMEDIATE WASHINGTON, CANBERRA, TOKYO, OTTAWA

124

MY TELNO 611: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: UNHCR/VIETNAM DISCUSSIONS

1. UNHCR HAVE TOLD US THAT VIETNAM HAS CONFIRMED ITS ATTNEDANCE AT UNHCR MEETING IN BANGKOK ON 27/28 OCTOBER. VIETNAMESE DELEGATION

WILL COMPRISE: NGUYEN DUY KHIN (DIRECTOR OF CONSULAR AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT), NGUYEN DUY HO (HEAD OF ODP WORKING GROUP). VIETNAMESE AMBASSADOR IN BANGKOK, LE MAI, IS ALSO LIKELY TO ATTEND.

2. CONTRARY TO VIEWS OF STATE DEPARTMENT (MISS O'BRIEN'S WASHINGTON TELELETTER OF 20 OCTOBER TO GODSON, SEAD - NOT TO ALL), UNHCR PLAN DETAILED DISCUSSIONS WITH VIETNAMESE IN BANGKOK. VIEIRA DE MELLO CHEAD OF ASIA BUREAU) WILL CALL ON LE MAI ON ARRIVAL FROM

GENEVA ON 26 OCTOBER. THIS WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A FULL WORKING

SESSION WITH VIETNAMESE ON SATURDAY 29 OCTOBER TO REVIEW RESULTS OF BANGKOK MEETING, TO DISCUSS TEXT OF UNHCR/VIETNAM DRAFT PROTOCOL

(PASSED TO HANOI ON 20 OCTOBER) AND DETAILS OF REPATRIATION/REINTEGRATION ASSISTANCE.

3. VIETNAMESE DELEGATION TO BANGKOK MEETING WILL TRAVEL TO KUALA LUMPUR ON 30 OCTOBER FOR DISCUSSIONS WITH MALAYSIANS.

4. AMERICAN UNEASE ABOUT BILATERAL NEGOTIATIONS WITH VIETNAM (PARA 5

OF WASHINGTON TELNO 2518 AND PARAS 4 AND 5 OF MISS O'BRIEN'S TELELETTER) IS NOT SHARED BY UNHCR. VIEIRA DE MELLO HAS MADE CLEAR THAT HE WELCOMES POSITIVE LINE WE HAVE TAKEN WITH VIETNAM AND HOPES THAT UNHCR CAN USE THE UK/HONG KONG/VIETNAM DISCUSSIONS AS A MODEL FOR WIDER DISCUSSIONS AND REGIONAL PROCEDURES. FOR THIS REASON, UNHCR HOPE WE CAN KEEP IN VERY CLOSE TOUCH WITH THEM.

SANKEY

YYYY

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