CONFIDENTIAL
41
047623
MDHIAN 3778
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HANOI
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 240
OF 09030OZ MAY 89
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
MID 243/22 нко
INFO ROUTINE WASHINGTON, PEKING, UKMIS GENEVA
29
HONG KONG TELNO MISC 296: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE
TOP COPY Q DIST?
1. IN THE EVENT THE INTERIOR MINISTRY PEOPLE DROPPED OUT OF MY WORKING DINNER YESTERDAY AT THE LAST MINUTE. CHOWEVER I WAS TOLD THAT THE MINISTRY WAS HAPPY TO BE IN CONTACT AND THAT I COULD CALL ON A VICE MINISTER. THEY HAVE PROVED TO BE AS GOOD AS THEIR WORD SEMI COLON A CALL HAS BEEN FIXED FOR 1400 ON 10 MAY.)
2. THE EVENING PROVED A MODERATELY USEFUL FIRST SHOT AT WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DEVELOP INTO A HIGHLY INFORMAL WORKING GROUP. I TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO STRESS ONCE AGAIN THE GRAVITY OF THE SITUATION AND THE NEED FOR MORE EFFECTIVE ACTION ON THE PART OF THE VIETNAMESE. LE THO (ACTING HEAD OF CONSULAR DEPARTMENT) FOR
HIS PART EMPHASISED THE DESIRE ON THE VIETNAMESE SIDE TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM AND THE IMPORTANCE IN THEIR EYES OF A GOOD OUTCOME FOR THE JUNE CONFERENCE IN GENEVA.
3. I HANDED OVER THE LATEST FIGURES FOR ARRIVALS AND THE INFORMATION ON FIVE PARTICULAR GROUPS OF BOAT PEOPLE (PARAGRAPH 1 OF TUR). THEY WERE SUITABLY IMPRESSED AT THE SPEED OF OUR RESPONSE TO THEIR NOTE OF 5 MAY. I VOLUNTEERED ON AN ENTIRELY PERSONAL BASIS THAT THERE MIGHT CONCEIVABLY BE A PROBLEM ABOUT HANDING BACK ORGANISERS OF DEPARTURES: LAWYERS MIGHT RAISE ARCANE LEGAL OBSTACLES. LE THO EXPRESSED UNDERSTANDING OF THIS POINT, WHEN I REMINDED HIM THAT HO CHI MINH'S LIFE HAD BEEN SAVED BY A BRITISH LAWYER IN HONG KONG WHO HAD PREVENTED HIS RETURN TO TONKING IN 1930.
4. THO THEN REVEALED THAT THE VIETNAMESE SIDE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT 2 OF THE NEXT GROUP OF RETURNEES. THEY HAD BOTH COMMITTED SERIOUS CRIMES, UNRELATED TO THEIR DEPARTURE FOR HONG KONG, AND WOULD HAVE TO BE PUNISHED ON RETURN. THE UNHCR HAD BEEN ASKED BY NOTE (A COPY IS ON ITS WAY TO US) TO MAKE SURE THAT THE 2 CONCERNED WERE AWARE THAT THEY WOULD BE APPREHENDED AND DEALT WITH ACCORDING TO LAW ON THEIR RETURN. THEY ARE:
I) HOANG VAN SOP, BORN HAI PHONG 1963
II) PHUNG VAN UT, BORN HAIPHONG 1955.
THO EMPHASISED TO ME THAT THEY WISHED TO MAKE THEIR POSITION
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PAGE CONFIDENTIAL
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