RESTRICTED
Miss Slate
AST W14/10 RIE N14110
PA
Cr4/20
Private Secretary
From:
RJT McLaren
MKD 243/15
Date:
13 October 1988
Cc:
PS/Lord Glenarthur PS/Mr Eggar
PS/PUS
Mr Gillmore
Mr Burns, News Dept Mr Hum, HKD
Mr Colvin, SEAD
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE : TALKS WITH THE VIETNAMESE
1.
John Dickie's critical article in today's Daily Mail misrepresents the outcome of the talks in a number of ways, particularly in his statement that "the first batch of 350 He also will be forced to return in the next two months". quotes me as saying "We believe these people will be well treated. But you don't ask for detailed assurances about people going back to their own country.
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2. Mr Dickie has compressed my reply to a question to suit his argument. For the record, what I actually said - and the Times has got it right - was that you don't seek detailed assurances in the case of people who ask to go back to their own country. But I stressed that we had in fact been given assurances that returnees would be well treated. And I made it clear that UNHCR would be involved in the arrangements and would be monitoring them to ensure that returnees were humanely treated.
3. In pursuit of the same argument, Mr Dickie also says that "there were no guarantees that boat people would be safe from persecution", and the leader of the Vietnamese delegation as having said "although these people have violated the law, we have a humane policy". He has not chosen to report Mr Khoan's reply to a further question and again the Times has got it right - "they will not be punished".
RESTRICTED
RJT McLaren
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