(63)
057275
MDHIAN 4194
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HANOI
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 246
OF 11050OZ MAY 89
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
CONFIDENTIAL
Hko 243/22
INFO ROUTINE UKMIS GENEVA AND WASHINGTON
MY TELNO 240: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE
TOP OOBY Q DIST?
SUMMARY
40
1. LENGTHY DISCUSSION WITH INTERIOR MINISTRY REVEALS GENUINE
DETERMINATION TO PREVENT DEPARTURES AND REQUESTS FOR COOPERATION ON THIS FRONT. DIFFERENCE OF VIEW BETWEEN INTERIOR AND FOREIGN
MINISTRIES WHICH WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO EXPLOIT.
2. I HAD A 2-HOUR DISCUSSION WITH MR BUI THIEN NGO, FIRST VICE- MINISTER OF THE INTERIOR, YESTERDAY. I DESCRIBED THE PROBLEM IN SOME DETAIL AND LEFT WITH HIM A BOUT DE PAPIER CONTAINING THE
LATEST FIGURES AND THE DETAILS OF RECENT ESCAPEES WHICH I HAD
GIVEN TO THE MFA ON MONDAY.
3. NGO MADE THE FOLLOWING POINTS:
A. IT WAS NOT RPT NOT VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT POLICY TO ENCOURAGE
PEOPLE TO LEAVE VIETNAM CLANDESTINELY: QUITE THE REVERSE. HE
RESENTED THE STATEMENT ATTRIBUTED RECENTLY TO A HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL.
B. MEASURES HAD BEEN STRENGTHENED TO PREVENT DEPARTURES: UP TO 30,000 PEOPLE HAD BEEN ARRESTED IN 1988 AND NUMEROUS ORGANISERS HAD BEEN SENTENCED TO PRISON AND HARD LABOUR. 20 PER CENT OF THOSE
STOPPED HAD BEEN ARRESTED ON BOATS.
C. FURTHER MEASURES WERE TAKEN RECENTLY WHEN THE AUTHORITIES
BECAME AWARE OF LARGE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE PREPARING TO LEAVE
VIETNAM FROM QUANG NINH AND HAO PHONG.
D. THE
GOVERNMENT HAD ISSUED CIRCULAR INSTURCTIONS THREE TIMES
IN RECENT MONTHS TO THE SECURITY FORCES, THE ARMY AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS EXHORTING THEM TO TAKE MORE EFFECTIVE MEASURES.
E. (FOR OUR INFORMATION ONLY) THE PRIME MINISTER HAD RECENTLY
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CONFIDENTIAL
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