TNAG-1972-FCO40-2805-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation-1989 — Page 48

CONFIDENTI

竹桃口

WTMED 243/9

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA

TELNO 108

OF 04143OZ MAY 89

INFO PRIORITY UKREP BRUSSELS, HANOI, HONG KONG

196.

037405 MDHOAN 0456

FOR VEREKER FROM COLVIN (SEAD)

HANOI TELNO 224 (NOW REPEATED TO HONG KONG):

1.

VIETNAMIEC

WE ARE CURRENTLY EXPLORING THE SCOPE FOR USING EC AND OTHER MULTILATERAL AID AS A LEVER TO PERSUADE THE VIETNAMESE TO AGREE TO TAKE BACK ALL NON-REFUGEE BOAT PEOPLE. A VISIT BY TRAN AT THIS JUNCTURE COULD INDEED SEND AN UNHELPFUL SIGNAL TO THE VIETNAMESE UNLESS HE SAID THE RIGHT THINGS ON BOAT PEOPLE. ENQUIRIES BY UKREP BRUSSELS HAVE DRAWN A BLANK WHICH SUGGESTS THAT TRAN MAY WELL BE VISITING OSTENSIBLY IN A PRIVATE CAPACITY, THOUGH EVIDENTLY AS PART OF A LARGER GROUP.

2.

I RECALL THAT YOU WROTE TO ME ON 17 JANUARY ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF USING TRAN AS A CHANNEL OF COMMUNICATION OVER CAMBODIA. I WONDER IF YOU WOULD BE ABLE DISCREETLY TO ESTABLISH TRAN'S INTENTIONS. IF HIS VISIT IS CONFIRMED, YOU MIGHT ASK WHETHER HE IS PROPOSING TO SEE VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS AS ON A SIMILAR OCCASION LAST YEAR. YOU MIGHT REGISTER OUR GENERAL CONCERN THAT THE VIETNAMESE MIGHT HAVE DIFFICULTY IN

DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN AN OFFICIAL AND PRIVATE VISIT GIVEN TRAN'S POSITION IN THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION AND EXPRESS OUR HOPE THAT NOTHING WILL BE DONE OR SAID THAT MIGHT ENCOURAGE THEM

TO MISINTERPRET HIS VISIT AS INDICATING A SHIFT IN EC POLICY TOWARDS VIETNAM. IF HE COULD BE PERSUADED TO DELIVER A STRONG MESSAGE ON BOAT PEOPLE (GAVIN HEWITT COULD SUPPLY ONE) THEN EVEN BETTER.

3. I REALISE THAT THIS IS DELICATE GROUND. BUT, IF YOU COULD CONVEY TO TRAN THAT WE ARE WATCHING HIM CLOSELY, IT MIGHT I SUPPOSE INDUCE HIM TO BE MORE CAREFUL.

HOWE

YYYY

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