CONFIDENTIAL
FM UKMIS GENEVA
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 611
OF 181144Z OCTOBER 88
CONFIDENTIAL
TOP COPY O DIST 7
MKD 243|15
Lons
(12x
030761
MDHIAN 7954
INFO PRIORITY KUALA LUMPUR, MANILA, SINGAPORE,
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, HANOI
INFO PRIORITY BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
JAKARTA
INFO ROUTINE WASHINGTON OTTAWA, TOKYO, CANBERRA,
(тоб) тог
PEKING
YOUR TELNOS 2686 AND 2687 TO HONG KONG (NOT TO ALL): VIETNAMESE BOAT
PEOPLE IN HONG KONG: TALKS WITH VIETNAM
ON THE SECOND ROUND OF TALKS WITH
WE HAD PREVIOUSLY GIVEN
1. WE BRIEFED UNHCR ON 17 OCTOBER
VIETNAM IN LONDON ON LINES OF FIRST TUR.
THEM A COPY OF PRESS STATEMENT.
2 =
VIEIRA DE MELLO (UNHCR'S ASIA BUREAU) WAS GRATEFUL FOR BRIEFING.
HE READILY UNDERSTOOD OUR WISH FOR UNHCR TO PLAY A KEY ROLE IN THE
THE RETURN OF PEOPLE TO VIETNAM. HE WAS ENCOURAGED THAT LINE TAKEN
BY VIETNAM IN LONDON CORRESPONDED SO CLOSELY WITH HIS OWN
DISCUSSIONS IN HANOI AT END OF SEPTEMBER.
3. THE ASIA BUREAU ARE STILL WORKING ON A UNHCR/VIETNAM PROTOCOL.
THEY HOPE TO PASS DRAFT TEXT TO VIETNAMESE IN HANOI LATER THIS WEEK
TO ALLOW TIME FOR STUDY BEFORE MEETING IN BANGKOK ON 27/28 OCTOBER
UNDER UNHCR AUSPICES, TO WHICH VIETNAMESE HAVE BEEN INVITED. UNHCR
INTEND TO USE THAT MEETING AND DISCUSSIONS IN THE MARGIN TO TAKE
FORWARD NEGOTIATIONS WITH VIETNAM. THEY HOPE WE CAN DO WHAT WE CAN
IN HANOI TO ENCOURAGE VIETNAMESE ATTENDANCE.
4. VIEIRA DE MELLO UNDERTOOK TO KEEP US INFORMED OF OUTCOME OF
UNHCR/VIETNAM DISCUSSIONS ON ELEMENTS OF REPATRIATION AND REINTEGRATION ASSISTANCE PACKAGE. HE COULD NOT, HOWEVER, AT THIS STAGE GIVE ANY BETTER ESTIMATE OF LIKELY COSTS. UNHCR
REPRESENTATIVE IN HANOI HAD BEEN ASKED TO PREPARE AN INITIAL
ASSESSMENT WHICH ASIA BUREAU EXPECTED TO RECEIVED SHORTLY.
/
5. ON QUESTION OF POSSIBLE VISIT TO HONG KONG BY VIETNAMESE
OFFICIALS (HONG KONG TELNO 3854). UNHCR SUGGESTED DRAWING ON THEIR
CENTRAL AMERICAN EXPERIENCE IN WHICH TRIPARTITE DISCUSSIONS WERE EITHER CHAIRED OR CONVENED BY UNHCR. UNHCR UNDERSTOOD HONG KONG'S CONCERNS, BUT AGREED THAT A CAREFULLY CONTROLLED VISIT BY VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS TO HONG KONG COULD FACILITATE PROGRESS AND AGREEMENT ON
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