CONFIDENTIAL
HKB
27319
RECEIVE
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HANOI
04 JAN 1990
TO DESKBY 19083OZ FCO
DESK
REC
TELNO 706
INDEX
Action Taken
132312
MDHIAN 9727
526
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
OF 19024OZ DECEMBER 89
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG AND UKMIS GENEVA
CHONG KONG PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR)
6520
(521)
MY TELNO'S 699 AND 700: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE
1. WE ARE BACK ON COURSE. I SPOKE AT LENGTH LAST NIGHT WITH VU KHOAN AND LE THO TOGETHER. IT EMERGED AFTER CONSIDER- ABLE DISCUSSION THAT THE ACCUSATION THAT HMG HAD VIOLATED THE JUNE AGREEMENT RELATED SOLELY TO THE PUBLICITY WHICH HAD ARISEN OVER THE RETURN ON 12 DECEMBER. I SUGGESTED THAT THERE HAD OBVIOUSLY BEEN A MAJOR MISUNDERSTANDING ON BOTH OUR PARTS OF WHAT THE OTHER HAD BEEN SAYING OVER RECENT WEEKS. THIS WAS READILY AGREED AND THE CHAPTER CLOSED, WITH THE SUGGESTION FROM VU KHOAN THAT WE KEEP IN VERY CLOSE TOUCH IN FUTURE. HE SAID THAT HE NOW WISHED TO CONCENTRATE ON THE FUTURE: I VERY READILY AGREED WITH THAT SENTIMENT.
2. I PROMISED TO LET THE VIETNAMESE SIDE HAVE OUR CONSIDERED REACT- ION TO THE ALLEGATIONS MADE BY THE RETURNEES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
3. WE DID NOT REFER TO THE 'THREAT' 1 THAT ANY RETURNEES WHO HAD BEEN FORCED WOULD BE SENT BACK TO HONG KONG, BUT, WITH THIS POINT IN MIND I REMINDED VU KHOAN THAT ALTHOUGH THEY HAD MADE A NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS TO ME, THE RETURNEES HAD NOT AT ANY STAGE SUGGESTED THAT FORCE HAD BEEN USED: IT WAS THEREFORE QUITE CLEAR THAT NO FORCE HAD BEEN USED.
4 -
I HOPE THAT IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES IT WILL BE POSSIBLE TO AVOID SUBSTANTIVE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE VIETNAMESE NOTE. IT COULD REASONABLY BE DESCRIBED IF NECESSARY AS PART OF AN ON-GOING DIALOGUE BETWEEN US ABOUT THE MANAGEMENT OF THE RETURN OF THOSE WHO DO NOT VOLUNTEER.
DAVIES
FCO PSE PASS HONG KONG AND UKMIS GENEVA
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