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FOLLOWING FROM:
FILE REFERENCE:
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HKK 243/2
RECEIVED IN PLGISTRY
1 SEP 1983
DESK.
INDEX
CER
PA
REGISTRY
Action Taken.
PA Resettlement -I/ Peate UN.D
ije
ME PIKE, HANOI
1) ec- Miss Walker HKD -Mr Montgomery
Pett
Open
241/1 DATED 9 SEPTEMBER 1983
C M J SEGAR, (SEAD, FCO
C W LONG, UKMIS GENEVA
P W M VEREKER,
Bolt 133 Home Over (Lemar
Hse
D-Mr. Nichebson V.S.U.
Home Office (Q.A.G.
BANGKOK i) Entw
R J T MCLAREN, HONG KONG
VIETNAMESE ORDERLY DEPARTURE PROGRAMME
iii) //r Newton
Mr Hantland Swann of Encawaging,
1. SIMINGTON, UNHCR REGIONAL COORDINATOR FOR SOUTH EAST ASIA, BRIEFED WESTERN MISSIONS HERE LAST NIGHT ON THE PROGRESS OF
THE ORDERLY DEPARTURE PROGRAMME. (HE HAD BEEN SEEING VIETNAMESE
MINISTERS DURING A BRIEF VISIT.)
2.
SIMINGTON SAID THAT FROM THE UNHCR POINT OF VIEW, THE RATE
OF DEPARTURES FOR THIRD COUNTRIES UNDER THIS YEAR'S ODP
PROGRAMME HAD EXCEEDED EXPECTATIONS. 13,000 PEOPLE WOULD HAVE
LEFT THE COUNTRY BY THE END OF THIS MONTH AND HE ANTICIPATED THAT
UP TO 16,500 WOULD LEAVE BY THE END OF THE YEAR. THE VIETNAMESE
HAD THEREFORE KEPT THE PROMISE MADE BY DEPUTY VICE MINISTER HA VAN
LAU IN GENEVA LAST OCTOBER, WHEN THE LATTER HAD AGREED WITH UNHCR
THAT BOTH SIDES SHOULD WORK TOWARDS A TARGET OF 1,000, AND, IF POSSIBLE 1,500, DEPARTURES A MONTH DURING 1983.
3. SIMINGTON ALSO HAD THE IMPRESSION THAT THE WORKING GROUP
ADMINISTERING DEPARTURES IN HO CHI MINH CITY WAS OPERATING MORE
EFFECTIVELY THAN PREVIOUSLY. PROBLEMS WERE BEING DEALT WITH IN A
''REASONABLE WAY'' AND ONLY SWEDEN AND SWITZERLAND OF THE WESTERN
EUROPEAN COUNTRIES INVOLVED WERE MEETING DIFFICULTIES.
4. SIMINGTON WOULD BE MEETING HA VAN LAU BEFORE HIS OWN
DEPARTURE THIS MORNING IN ORDER TO DISCUSS THE AGENDA FOR A VISIT
TO GENEVA BY LAU BETWEEN 3 - 7 OCTOBER. AS IN OCTOBER LAST YEAR,
UNHCR WOULD INVITE LAU TO ADDRESS A MEETING OF DELEGATES FROM THE
''ODP COUNTRIES' AND TO ANSWER QUESTIONS FROM THEM. DELEGATIONS
WOULD ALSO BE INVITED TO MEET LAU BILATERALLY IF THEY SO WISHED.
Clukega 112/9