GRS 450
ང་ཡི་ཆམ་ དང་བཅུད་ཞིའི་མན་པཊྛམས
CONFUDENTHIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 1567
OF 220345Z MAY 86
INFO PRIORITY HANDH
CONFIDENT I AL
ник
243/8
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
-
- 4 JUN 1986
REGISTRY
PA
Action Taken
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
FROM JE AFFRESON FOR
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
MNVOLUNTARY REPATRIATSKON.
NIR
FURTHER TO MY TELNO 1465 WE HAVE BEEN APPROACHED BY THE AMERICANS AND CANADIANS. THE SUBJECT ALSO CAME UP WHEN THE SECRETARY FOR THE AUSTRALIHAN DEPARTMENT OF MIGRATION AND ETHNIC AFFAIRS VISITED HONG KONG THIS WEEK.
2. THE AMERICANS ASKED FOR AN INFORMAL MEETHING TO DISCUSS INVOLUNTARY REPATRIATION. THEY EXPLAINED THAT, GIVEN THE DIMINISHING PROSPECTS FOR RESETTLEMENT AND THE PRESENT HIGH RATE OF ARRIVALS, THEY THOUGHT THAT THIS SOLUTION WAS WORTHY OF FURTHER CONSIDERATION. THEY MADE IT CLEAR THAT THEY WERE SPEAKING INFORMALLY ON BEHALF OF THE USCG HERE. BUT WE GATHERED THAT THE OPPOSITION TO VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION *N THE STATE DEPARTMENT LAST YEAR HAD REDUCED
CONSIDERABLY.
3. SEPARATELY, WE WERE MANVITED TO LUNCH BY THE CANADHAN IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS HERE. AFTER A BRIEF DISCUSSION ON THE PRESENT ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE RATE, WE WERE ASKED WHAT WE WOULD DO IF, SAY, FILIPINOS ARRIVED IN BOATS SEEKING TO LAND # HONG KONG. THE CANADIANS ANSWERED THEIR OWN QUESTION BY SUGGESTING THAT WE WOULD RETURN THEM TO THE PHILIPPINES. WE AGREED. THEY THEN ASKED WHETHER WE HAD CONSIDERED VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION ANY FURTHER. - WE EXPLAINED THAT WE WERE CONSTANTLY CONSIDERING A WIDE RANGE OF OPTIONS AND ASKED WHAT THE CANADIAN WHEW WOULD BE OF HONG KONG WERE TO PROPOSE INVOLUNTARY REPATRIATION. THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD ENCOURAGE DISCUSSION OF THIS SUBJECT. THEY SAID THAT THE INTERNATIONAL PRESUMPTION IN 1979 THAT ALL THOSE LEAVING VIETNAM BY BOAT WERE REFUGEES HAD TO BE RE-EXAMINED, THEY SAID THAT THIS COULD BEST BE DONE AT AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE. THEY SAID THAT HT MIGHT BE EVEN BETTER TO DISCUSS THY'S AT A REGIONAL CONFERENCE. THEY FELT STRONGLY THAT THE ISSUE SHOULD BE DISCUSSED
OPENLY.
4. WE RAISED THIS SUBJECT WITH THE AUSTRALIANS AT A RECEPTION.
THE SECRETARY FOR MIGRATION AND ETHNIC AFFAIRS SAND THE HE PERSONALLY FAVOURED THE DEA BUT HE DID NOT THINK THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT WOULD GIVE IT SUPPORT PUBLICLY.
YOUDE
LIMITED
HKD
SEAD
SIR W HARD ING
MR WILSON
CONFIDENTIAL