QUESTION OF LONG TERM SOLUTIONS
ONG TERM SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEM, PARTICULARLY
CONTACTS WITH VIETNAM ITSELF
WE HAVE DISCUSSED THE SUBJECT FREQUENTLY WITH UNHCR, OTHER
RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES, AND THE COUNTRIES OF THE REGION INCLUDING
VIETNAM. UNHCR ACCEPT THAT RESETTLEMENT IN WESTERN COUNTRIES IS
NOT THE IDEAL SOLUTION, AND THAT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING FOR OTHER
VIABLE ALTERNATIVES, SUCH AS REPATRIATION OR RESETTLEMENT IN THE
AREA.
THE COMPLEX NATURE OF THE PROBLEMS INVOLVED MIGHT WELL
SUGGEST THEY SHOULD BE EXAMINED IN A FURTHER INTERNATIONAL
CONFERENCE. WE SHOULD HAVE NO OBJECTION TO JOINING SUCH A
CONFERENCE. BUT FOR IT TO HAVE ANY CHANGE OF SUCCESS IT WOULD
NEED TO COVER ALL THE POSSIBLE DURABLE SOLUTIONS OPEN: REPATRIA-
TION, LOCAL INTEGRATION AND RESETTLEMENT. IT SHOULD ALSO BE
ATTENDED BY NOT ONLY THE MAJOR RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES (INCLUDING
CHINA), AND THE FIRST ASYLUM COUNTRIES, BUT ALSO THE COUNTRIES
OF INDO-CHINA. GIVEN THE POLITICAL TENSIONS IN THE REGION,
PARTICULARLY BETWEEN CHINA AND VIETNAM, THIS WOULD NOT BE EASY TO
ACHIEVE AND INDEED SEVERAL RECENT DIPLOMATIC INITIATIVES OF THIS
SORT HAVE COME TO NOTHING.
MOREOVER WE OURSELVES ARE NOT WELL PLACED TO TAKE AN INITIATM
TIVE OF OUR OWN. WE CAN HARDLY MAKE SUCH A MOVE WITHOUT PROMPTING
THE QUESTION FROM OTHER PARTICIPANTS OF WHAT WE OURSELVES PROPOSE
TO CONTRIBUTE. THIS WOULD CLEARLY BE EMBARRASSING GIVEN THE
CRITICISM OUR PERFORMANCE IS ALREADY ELICITING FROM OTHER RESETTLE-
MENT COUNTRIES. WE HAVE HOWEVER MADE CLEAR OUR WILLINGNESS TO
JOIN IN PRELIMINARY DISCUSSIONS WITH MAJOR RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES
AND FIRST ASYLUM COUNTRIES.