CONFIDENTIAL
533
141741
MDHIAN 0169
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HANOI
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 717
OF 210557Z DECEMBER 89
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG AND UKMIS GENEVA
CHONG KONG PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR)
531)
TOP CODY
Q
HK B RECEIVED IN
273 19
04 JAN 1990
Y
YOUR TELNO 435: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE
DESK
INDEX
1. WHEN I CALLED ON THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF EUROPE 2 TODAY ABOUT OTHER MATTERS, I TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE HIM IN DISCUSSION OF THE BOAT PEOPLE ISSUE.
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2. I TOLD LE CHAN ON A PERSONAL BASIS THAT I HAD BEEN DEEPLY CONCERNED AT THE TONE OF THE NOTE AND AT CHE FACT THAT IT WAS DIFFERENT IN TONE AND CONTENT TO WHAT VU KHOAN HAD ACTUALLY SAID TO ME. I SAID THAT ONE COULD NOT BUT WONDER WHETHER VU KHOAN KNEW WHAT WAS IN THE NOTE. I JUDGE FROM THE REACTION OF TIN (WHO WAS PRESENT AND HAD BEEN AT THE MEETING WITH VU KHOAN) THAT THIS MAY WELL BE THE CASE. I SAID HOWEVER DHAT THIS WAS NOW WATER OVER THE DAM AND THAT WE MUST LOOK TO THE FUTURE CHE IMMEDIATELY AGREED). NEVERTHELESS I HOPED THAT CHAN AND HIS COLLEAGUES IN EUROPE 2 WOULD KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON DEVELOPMENTS BECAUSE I WAS NOT ENTIRELY CONFIDENT THAT THE CONSULAR DEBARTMENT OFFICIALS CONCERNED WERE ALWAYS FULLY AWARE OF THE POLITICAL DIMEN- SIONS OF THE SUBJECTS THEY WERE HANDLING. CHAN DID NOT RESIST THIS LINE OF THINKING.
3. I SAID TO CHAN THAT I WISHED TO GET ON WITH CONCRETE ARRANGEMENTS FOR FUTURE FLIGHTS AND HOPED THAT A MEETING WOULD BE ARRANGED SOON. I WISHED TOO TO DISCUSS THE POSSIBILITY OF AID WHICH I HAD REFERRED TO WHEN I SAW VU KHOAN ON15 DECEMBQR.
4. OF FUTURE RETURNS, CHAN SAID THAT THE VIETNAMESE SIDE HAD NOT FULLY DEBRIEFED THE RECENT RETURNEES. I PUT TO HIM VERY STRONGLY THAT I TRUSTED THAT NOBODY ON THE VIETNAMESE SIDE WAS PREPARED TO TAKE AT FACE VALUE ALL THAT THESE PEOPLE WERE NOW SAYING. I COULD ASSURE HIM THAT NO FORCE HAD BEEN USED AND THAT AS FAR AS VOLUNTEERING WAS CONCERNED, ONE OF THEM HAD APPARENTLY VOLUNT- EERED BUT ONLY WHEN IN MID-AIR ON THE WAY BACK TO VIETNAM. I SAID THAT WE WERE EXAMINING THEIR COMPLAINTS SERIOUSLY BUT MADE IT CLEAR THAT AS FAR AS I WAS CONCERNED THESE WERE PEOPLE WHO
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