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CONFIDENTIAL
FM UKS GENEVA 233745Z JAN 79
TO ROUTINE FCO
TELNO 27 OF 23/1/79
INFO VASHINGTON JAKARTA KUALA LUMPUR SINGAPORE BANGKOK HONG KONG
INFO SAVING PARIS BONN CANBERRA OTTAVA
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
1. AT THE URGING OF MY US COLLEAGUE THE UN HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES TODAY HELD A SMALL INFORMAL MEETING TO DISCUSS THE IDEA OF AN ISLAND RECEPTION CENTRE FOR VICTNAMESE REFUGEES. IN ADDITION TO MYSELF, THE US, FRENCH, CANADIAN, AUSTRALIAN AMBASSADORS AND A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE FRG MISSION WERE PRESENT.
2. VANDEN HEUVEL (US) SAID THAT HIS GOVERNMENT DELIEVED THAT AN
OFFER WOULD VERY SHORTLY BE MADE BY THE ASEAN COUNTRIES, AND IN PARTICULAR INDONESIA, OF AN ISLAND OR ISLANDS. IN VIEW OF THE TIME THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED BETWEEN THE RECEIPT OF SUCH AN OFFER AND THE
COMPLETION OR ARRANGEMENTS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT THE US GOVERNMENT THOUGHT IT IMPORTANT THAT THE UN HIGH COMMISSIONER SHOULD AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SET IN HAND THE NECESSARY EXAMINATION OF WHAT WAS INVOLVED. HIS GOVERNMENT RECOGNISED THAT THERE WERE SERIOUS DIFFICULTIES BUT BELIEVED WE SHOULD NOW BE GETTING READY TO COPE WITH THEM LEST WE WERE FORCED BY CIRCUMSTANCES TO ADOPT THIS
APPROACH,
3. IN THE DISCUSSION RICH FOLLOWED ATTENTION WAS DRAWN TO THE
FOLLOWING ASPECTS ON WHICH DIFFICULT DECISIONS WOULD BE REQUIRED IF THE SCHEME WERE TO BE PUT INTO OPERATIONA (A) THE NATURE OF THE CENTRE AND THE ADMISSIONS POLICY
PRESUMABLY
IT WOULD HAVE TO BE FOR NEW REFUGEES ONLY: OTHERWISE THERE WAS THE
INFLAME ME