TNAG-2617-FCO40-3808-Visit-by-Lord-Caithness--Minister-of-State-for-Foreign-and-C-1992 — Page 180

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MDHIAN 8630

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FM HANOI

TO DESKBY 1009OOZ FCO

TELNO 22

OF 10010OZ JANUARY 92

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, UKMIS GENEVA, UKREP BRUSSELS

INFO PRIORITY WASHINGTON

LORD CAITHNESS VISIT: CALLS ON FOREIGN AND DEPUTY FOREIGN

MINISTER ON 8 JANUARY:

SUMMARY

1. CALLS DOMINATED BY BOAT PEOPLE PROBLEM. VIETNAMESE WANT TO

TAKE MIGRANTS BACK BUT ASSERT PROBLEMS OVER FINANCE FOR REINTIGRATION. RELATIONS WITH USA MOVING FORWARD. THEY WANT TO STRENGTHEN RELATIONSHIPS IN WESTERN EUROPE. SEEK SUPPORT FOR ACCESS TO IMF. RE-AFFIRM RESPECT FOR CAMBODIA AGREEMENTS.

DETAIL

2. MIGRANTS. DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER, NGUYEN DY NIEN, SAID THAT WITH COOPERATION THE SITUATION WAS NOW UNDER CONTROL. THE 29 OCTOBER DEADLINE WAS STOPPING DEPARTURES, DOUBLE BACKERS WERE RETURNED, VOLUNTEERS WERE FLOWING BACK. THE TRANSIT CENTRE WAS NOW OVERLOADED BECAUSE INFLOWS WERE OVER ITS CAPACITY. IF UK/HONG KONG WAS GOING TO RETURN SOME 61,000 (SIC) THE CENTRE NEEDED TO BE EXPANDED AND VIETNAM NEEDED MORE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FROM UK. PARTICULAR CONCERNS ABOUT PROVIDING HOUSING AND WORK. VIETNAM WAS FACING A DIFFICULT TIME ECONOMICALLY WITH LOSS OF SOVIET AID AND 7 MILLION UNEMPLOYMENT, THE HIGHEST FIGURE SINCE INDEPDENCE. GOVERNMENT PRIORITIES FOCUSSED ON UNEMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION AND HEALTH. NIEN FOLLOWED WITH A LONG CATALOGUE OF DETAILED COMPLAINTS THAT UNHCR AND EC FUNDING WAS BEHIND SCHEDULE. VIETNAM HAD MADE A GOOD START TOWARDS SOLVING THE MIGRANT PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH THE COMMENCEMENT HAD BEEN CRITICISED INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY. THEY WANTED TO COMPLETE THE PROGRAMME AND KEEP UP THE MOMENTUM. THEY DID NOT WANT A SOCIETY ALWAYS IN TURMOIL.

LORD CAITHNESS PROMISED TO FOLLOW UP ON THE DELAYS AND

A WORKING MEETING WAS FIXED FOR THE FOLLOWING DAY (SEE MIFT). IN A SUBSEQUENT MEETING THE FOREIGN MINISTER, NGUYEN MANH CAM REFFERED TO THE HIGH COST TO HONG KONG OF KEEPING MIGRANTS IN THE CAMPS. HE REFERRED TO THE HIGHER RATES OF RETURN ALREADY

IN 1991 AND SAID THAT THE RATE COULD BE INCREASED IF VIETNAM COULD CREATE FAVOURABLE CONDITIONS FOR REPATRIATION.

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