GR 450
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM WASHINGTON 162830Z DEC 81
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 3817 OF 16 DECEMBER
нки 243/2
BEARD
INDEX
1201
DESK OFFICE?
PA
No
4/12
! Af 2/12
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG ROUTINE KUALA LUMPUR UKMIS GENEVA
9 -120 YOUR TELNO 1926 AND HONG KONG TELNO 1122 TO THE FCO: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
See HKK 24.3/1
1. CUSHING, ASIAN REFUGEES OFFICE DIRECTOR AT STATE, CLAIMED THAT THE EXCLUSION OF CATEGORY 4E (THOSE WITHOUT US TIES) REFUGEES APPLIED TO ALL COUNTRIES IN THE AREA EXCEPT THAILAND. THE THAIS WERE COPING WITH AN ENORMOUS NUMBER OF REFUGEES, 170,000 AT THE LAST COUNT, AND THE AMERICANS DID NOT WISH TO ADD TO THEIR PROBLEMS. CUSHING ALSO SAID THAT THE THAIS HAD INSTITUTED A SYSTEM OF HUMANE DETERRENCE, WHICH THE AMERICANS WOULD LIKE TO SEE INTRODUCED BY OTHER SE ASIAN COUNTRIES FACED WITH A REFUGEE PROBLEM. UNDER THE THAI SYSTEM, ALL LAO ENTERING THE COUNTRY SINCE LAST JANUARY, AND ALL VIETNAMESE COMING IN SINCE 15 AUGUST, HAVE APPARENTLY BEEN PLACED IN AUSTERE CAMPS SEPARATE FROM THOSE WHOM THE THAIS ARE ALLOWING RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES TO APPROACH. (THE DATE OF THEIR ARRIVAL IN THE COUNTRY IS KNOWN FROM THEIR UNHCR
REGISTRATION CARDS). THOSE TO WHOM THE HUMANE DETERRENCE SYSTEM APPLIES ARE NOT PERMITTED TO BE PROCESSED FOR ONWARD PASSAGE TO
A RESETTLEMENT COUNTRY: THE LONG TERM AIM IS REPATRIATION TO THEIR HOME COUNTRIES, (KHMER REFUGEES, OF WHO THERE ARE SOME 90,000 IN THAILAND, HAVE UNTIL A RECENT FRENCH APPROACH, NEVER BEEN CONSIDERED FOR RESETTLEMENT. THE AIM IS FOR THEM TO RETURN TO CAMBODIA). CUSHING SAID THAT THE THAI HUMANE DETERRENCE SYSTEM HAD RESULTED IN A GREATLY REDUCED FLOW OF REFUGEES INTO THAILAND.
2. CUSHING SYMPATHISED WITH OUR PROBLEMS IN HONG KONG, BUT AGAIN POINTED OUT THAT THE AMERICANS INTEND TO MAKE UP FOR THE SHORTFALL IN OFF-TAKE FROM THE COLONY, TAKING IN SOME 4,500-5,000 REFUGEES FROM JANUARY TO MARCH. AS REGARDS THE POINT ABOUT RETROACTIVE ACTION, CUSHING CLAIMED THAT UNTIL 4 DECEMBER THE AMERICANS HAD BEEN PREPARED TO HELP ALL THOSE WHO WISHED TO LEAVE REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THE NECESSARY DOSSIER FOR THE IMMIGRATION AND NATURALISATION SERVICE HAD BEEN PREPARED. FOR OBVIOUS REASONS, 4 DECEMBER HAD NOT BEEN PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED AS A CUT-OFF DATE, BUT IT WAS NOW REGARDED AS SUCH BY THE AMERICANS.
27
1982
CONFIDENTIAL
/3.