TNAG-1803-FCO40-2563-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-talks-between-the-UK--Hong-Kon-1988 — Page 289

CONFIDENTIAL FM HANOI

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

CONFIDENTIAL

ぐ

інко

HKD 243/15

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

27 SEP 1998

136771

MDHIAN 5388

TELNO 343

NV

OF 27041OZ SEPTEMBER 88.

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG

on

YOUR TELNO

3

20 OF 23 SEPT: BOAT PEOPLE TALKS

Laken

COPY TO Q DIST ?

1. YESTERDAY AFTERNOON HEAD OF CHANCERY CALLED ON HOANG QUOC TIN OF CONSULAR DEPARTMENT TO PROPOSE THE DATES 11 AND 12 OCTOBER FOR THE TALKS, CONFIRM THE COMPOSITION OF OUR DELEGATION, AND TO PROPOSE THAT THE VIETNAMESE PAY THEIR OWN WAY IN LONDON. HE ALSO OFFERED TO PAY FOR THE COSTS OF THE UK/HK DELEGATION'S VISIT TO HANOI IN AUGUST.

2. TIN WAS CLEARLY NOT PLEASED WITH THIE NEWS ABOUT COSTS AND SAID THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO CONSULT HIS SUPERIORS. HE ADDED THAT THE VIETNAMESE HAD ONLY ACCEPTED IN PRINCIPLE THAT THE TLKS SHOULD BE HELD IN LONDON DURING THE WEEK BEGINNING THE 10 OCTOBER DEPENDING ON SATISFACTORY ARRANGEMENTS BEING MADE FOR TRAVEL AND ACCOMMODATION. THEREFORE HE WOULD HAVE TO CONSULT HIS SUPERIORS ALSO ON THE DATES.

3. TIN THEN ASKED WHAT WE PROPOSED TO RAISE AT THE TALKS SAYING THAT HE HOPED THAT WE WOULD NOT GET BOGGED DOWN IN A LENGTHY ARGUMENT ABOUT VOLUNTARISM. WHAT WE COULD NOT YET AGREE ON WE SHOULD AVOID. HE ADDED THAT IT WOULD NOT BE RIGHT TO FORCE PEOPLE TO RETURN AND THAT INSTEAD WE SHOULD ALL BE TRYING TO PER- CLEAR THAT SUADE PEOPLE TO RETURN. HEAD OF CHANCERY MADE IT QUITE

A REALISTIC AND EFFECTIVE SOLUTION TO HONG KONG'S PROBLEM MUST BE ONE THAT INVOLVED THE RETURN OF ALL SCREENED OUT BOAT PEOPLE AND THAT DECIDING HOW TO ACTIVATE THIS WAS WAS WHAT THESE TALKS WERE ALL ABOUT. HEAD OF CHANCERY REITERATED THAT THE RETURN OF SCREENED OUT BOAT PEOPLE AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WAS IN ACCORDANCE

HE ALSO WITH INTERNATIONAL PRACTICE AND ACCEPTED BY THE UNHCR ETC. ADDED THAT AT THE NEXT ROUND OF TALKS WE SHOULD BE EXPECTING THE VIETNAMESE TO BRIEF US ON STEPS TAKEN TO LIMIT DEPARTURES. TIN MADE NO FURTHER COMMENT.

4. FINALLY TIN COMPLAINED ABOUT ONLY RECEIVING THE DETAILS OF A FEW VOLUNTEERS. HE SAID THAT THE AUTHORITIES COULD NOT AFFORD TO SEND OFFICIALS TO THE PROVINCES TO CHECK ON ONLY A HANDFUL OF

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