CAB128-94_A1b — Page 27

CONFIDENTIAL

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holders could not be denied initial entry to this country since their passports entitled them to make a short visit.

ONFIDEN

Vietnames Boat People

THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY said that he had attended the International Conference on Indo-Chinese

efugees which had taken place at Geneva on 13/14 June.

addressing the Conference, the Governor of Hong Kong, David Wilson, and he had emphasised the very large

fj

of the problem facing Hong Kong as a result of the myration from Vietnam. Despite resistance by the United States to any proposal for compulsory repatriation of economic migrants, the conclusions reached by the Conference went a long way towards satisfying British objectives. A plan had been agreed for the settlement of all bona fide refugees, including an estimated 15,000 in Hong Kong (and the Philippines had agreed to the establishme

Regional Processing Centre on their territory, to be funded by a number of nations including the United Kingdo Several countries, though not the United States, ha pported a policy of repatriating economic migrantsjetnam, and the Malaysian Conference President had made a song statement to that effect. Although the United

could not drop its opposition to the principle of involuntary repatriation to North Vietnam, its opposition in practice night have been moderated to some extent. He himself had had bilateral talks with the Vietnamese Foreign Minister Nguyen Co Thach, who had agreed to joint discussions/fficials about arrangements for the repatriation of non-refugees on an involuntary basis. The crucial question was how those repatriated would be received in Vietnam; gratifying that the Government or etam appeared to have moderated their stance significant

nonetheless

Soviet Union

Previous Reference CC(89) 15.3

Moscow,

THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY said that the recent meeting of the Congress of People's Deputi which had ended on 9 June, had provided a further illustration of President Gorbachev's political11; had been successful in achieving a further measurefor liberalisation of the Soviet political system while remaining firmly in control. His current visit

11; he

Federal Republic of Germany had had less adverse effe Western interests than might have been feared. Germans had handled the visit well, and it was noteworthy that the Federal Chancellor, Herr Helmut Kohl, had stres

4

stres

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CONFIDENTIAL

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