RESTRICTED
392
450
RESTRICTED
FM SINGAPORE 160203Z FEB
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 93 OF 16 FEB 79
HKK
243/1
Rack
19 FEDIW!
DASC OF
INDEX
No
PA
Ac
J19.2. C25
Ра
INFO JAKARTA KUALA LUMPUR MANILA BANGKOK UKMIS GENEVA GOV HONG KONG SAVING TO WASHINGTON CANBERRA AND HANOI.
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.
1. INDONESIAN FOREIGN MINISTER WAS IN SINGAPORE ON 13 FEB PRIMARILY
TO TALK ABOUT REFUGEE POLICY, ON A TOUR TAKING IN KUALA LUMPUR,' MANILA AND BANGKOK. ON ARRIVAL DR MOCHTAR SAID THAT ''ASEAN WILL HAVE TO MEET VIETNAM WITH A VIEW TO STEMMING THE FLOW OF REFUGEES TO THE ASEAN COUNTRIES''. HE ALSO REFERRED TO THE ISLAND PROPOSAL SAYING THAT NO SPECIFIC ISLAND HAD YET BEEN DECIDED UPON, BUT THAT INTER ALIA PROPER ADMINISTRATION AND CONTROL MEASURES WOULD BE REQUIRED AND THAT THERE MUST BE AN UNDERTAKING BY WESTERN COUNTRIES FOR ONWARD ADMISSION BEFORE REFUGEES WERE ACCEPTED ON THE ISLAND.
2. TAN BOON SENG, MFA, TOLD US TODAY THAT DR MOCHTAR'S TALKS HERE WERE ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY ON THE REFUGEE QUESTION. BOTH SIDES WERE EXTREMELY WORRIED THAT THE END OF THE MONSOON IN MID-MARCH WOULD HERALD A SUBSTANTIAL RESURGENCE OF SMALL BOAT REFUGEE ARRIVALS IN THE AREA. THEY WERE ALSO VERY CONCERNED ABOUT HANOI'S STATEMENTS THAT IT INTENDED TO REGULATE 'EMIGRATION''. NOT ONLY MIGHT THIS FORCE UNHCR AND RECIPIENT COUNTRIES TO GIVE PRECEDENCE TO THOSE APPROVED BY HANOI FOR DEPARTURE AT THE EXPENSE OF THOSE ALREADY AWAITING RESETTLEMENT IN THE AREA: IT ALSO RESERVED TO HANOI THE RIGHT TO CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE DEPARTURES, BUT ONLY OF ''USELESS MOUTHS''. RESETTLEXENT OF SUCH REFUGEES WOULD BE DOUBLY DIFFICULT. BOTH SIDES WERESALSO DEEPLY CONCERNED
AT THE EVIDENCE OF RACKETEERING SUCH AS THE HUEY FONG AND SKYLUCK. THERE WAS A DANGER THAT ORGANISED CRIME WOULD ENTRENCH ITSELF. IN THE REFUGEE BUSINESS, ADDING SEVERELY TO EXISTING COMPLICATIONS. 3. THE ISLAND PROPOSAL WAS FURTHER DISCUSSED. IT WAS AGREED
THAT IT COULD NOT BE A STARTER UNLESS:
A) THE VIETNAMESE AGREED TO TAKE EFFECTIVE STEPS TO CONTROL THE EXODUS, AND
RESTRICTED
/B) THE
F