CONFIDENTIAL
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WOULD BE. WE WOULD NOT SEEK TO INVOLVE FIRST ASYLUM COUNTRIES
INITIALLY, ALTHOUGH WE WOULD PROBABLY WISH TO DO SO AT A LATER
STAGE.
3.
WE WOULD SEEK TO CONCENTRATE DISCUSSION ON THE PRACTICAL
PROBLEMS POSED BY THE CONTINUING OUTFLOW OF REFUGEES FROM
VIETNAM. THESE ARE OUR IMMEDIATE PRE-OCCUPATIONS, AND OUR
RESPONSIBILITY FOR HONG KONG GIVES A PARTICULAR URGENCY TO OUR
CONCERNS. THERE COULD BE SOME PROBLEMS IN RELATION TO OUR WIDER
REFUGEE POLICY IF TOO MUCH EMPHASIS IS LAID ON DEFINING OR
RE-DEFINING THE GENERAL CONCEPTS OF QUOTE REFUGEE UNQUOTE AND
QUOTE ECONOMIC MIGRANT UNQUOTE. WE RECOGNISE, HOWEVER, THAT ANY
REASSESSMENT OF THE VIETNAMESE PROBLEM IS LIKELY TO DRAW IN THE
PROBLEMS POSED BY KHMER AND LAO REFUGEES, AT LEAST WHEN THE FIRST
ASYLUM COUNTRIES ARE BROUGHT IN. WE WOULD ALSO WISH THE MEETING
TO FOCUS ON SUCH ASPECTS AS THE EXTENT TO WHICH ECONOMIC
MIGRANTS ARE ALSO DRIVEN BY POLITICAL FACTORS, AND ON THE
PRACTICAL ASPECTS OF REPATRIATION.
4.
ON TIMING, WE THINK WE SHOULD LAUNCH INITIAL DISCUSSIONS WITH HONOLULU GROUP MEMBERS, INDIVIDUALLY AND THEN COLLECTIVELY,
SOON AFTER THE SUMMER BREAK AND WELL BEFORE THE UNHCR EXCOM IN
OCTOBER. THERE MAY WELL BE ADVANTAGE IN REINFORCING OUR
PRELIMINARY APPROACHES IN GENEVA WITH DIPLOMATIC ACTION IN
CAPITALS. EXCOM WOULD PROVIDE A USEFUL OPPORTUNITY FOR FURTHER
DISCUSSION IN THE MARGINS. WE SHOULD THEN BE IN A POSITION TO
PURSUE THE SUBJECT MORE SUBSTANTIVELY (TO SOME EXTENT DEPENDING
ON THE OUTCOME OF EXCOM DISCUSSIONS) THEREAFTER. IF PROGRESS IS
MADE, THE NEXT STEP MIGHT BE A BROADER MEETING ADDING IN THE COUNTRIES OF FIRST ASYLUM. WE SHOULD TRY TO ASSOCIATE THEM AT A
RELATIVELY EARLY STAGE TO ENSURE THAT DISCUSSION DOES NOT LEAD
TOWARDS SOLUTIONS (SUCH AS SCREENING) WHICH MIGHT RELIEVE THE PRESSURE ON RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES WITHOUT RESOLVING THE PROBLEMS
OF HONG KONG AND THE OTHER FIRST ASYLUM COUNTRIES. IT IS TOO
SOON TO JUDGE HOW FORMAL ANY ENLARGED MEETING MIGHT BE AND WHEN
IT COULD TAKE PLACE BUT WE NOTE THE POSSIBILITY THAT MALAYSIA
MIGHT CALL FOR A CONFERENCE TO BE HELD IN GENEVA TO DISCUSS THE
PROBLEM.
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CONFIDENTIAL