•
GRS 305
CONFIDENTIAL
FM JAKARTA 1905157 FEB 79
TO IMMEDIATE
F CO
CONFIDENTIAL
DEEKBY 1914002
1.0 67 OF 19 FEBRUARY
HKK 243/1
395
INFO PRIORITY TO UKMIS GENEVA WASHINGTON OTTAWA CANBERRA BONN, AND
PARIS
389
YOUR TELNO 31: PROPOSAL FOR AN ISLAND PROCESSING CENTRE FOR
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.
No
Chr
1. THE INDONESIAN INTENTION IS CERTAINLY THAT VIETNAMESE REFUGEES ALLOVED TO LAND ON THE TRANSIT ISLAND SHOULD BE ACCEPTED FOR PERMANENT SETTLEMENT BY WESTERN COUNTRIES, AND THAT THERE SHUOLD BE NO RESIDUAL PROBLEM FOR INDONESIA OR OTHER ASEAN COUNTRIES, BUT, AT LEAST IN PRIVATE, AS INDICATED IN PARA 3 OF MY TELNO 59 (NOT TO ALL), THE INDONESIAN FOREIGN MINISTER CONCEDES THE DIFFICULTY OF STRICTLY CONTROLLING ADMISSION TO THE TRANSIT ISLAND ON THE BASIS THAT NO VIETNAMESE REFUGEE WOULD BE ALLOWED TO LAND ON IT WITHOUT A GUARANTEE THAT HE WOULD BE ADMITTED FOR PERMANENT SETTLEMENT BY
A THIRD COUNTRY.
2.
THE TRANSIT ISLAND IS OF COURSE MEANT TO PROVIDE AN ASEAN, NOT MERELY AN INDONESIAN SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE, AND MOCHTAR HAS BEEN DISCUSSING THE PROPOSAL WITH- OTHER ASEAN GOVERNMENTS IN THE PAST FEW DAYS. PRESS REPORTS OF HIS DISCUSSIONS IN OTHER ASEAN CAPITALS HAVE SUGGESTED THAT THE
ASEAN GOVERNMENTS ARE HIGHLY FAVOURABLE TO THE TRANSIT ISLAND IDEA: AND THE INDONESIANS APPEAR SET TO GO AHEAD WITH THIS PLAN IN ANY CASE. AN AUTHORITATIVE INDONESIAN VIEW ON THIS CANNOT BE EXPECTED HOWEVER UNTIL MOCHTAR RETURNS HOME (HE IS NOT AT PRESENT EXPECTED BACK UNTIL 25 FEBRUARY). IF YOU COULD LET ME HAVE A COPY OF THE UNHCR PAPER UNDER REFERENCE, I WILL FOLLOW MATTERS UP WITH MOCHTAR AFTER THE EEC-ASEAN INDUSTRIAL INVESTMENT
CONFERENCE.
O'BRIEN.
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