CONFIDENTIAL
Thai Seminar on Vietnamese Boat People: "First Asylum" and "First Refuge"
Background
The seminar was organised by the International Studies Centre of the Thai Foreign Ministry with the support of the Ford Foundation. Participants took part in their individual capacities, and the seminar had no official status. It was however attended by officials of most ASEAN countries, the Hong Kong Government and the main resettlement countries, as well as by a number of
non-officials.
The summary of discussions at the seminar is attached, with the main conclusions highlighted. most important are the following:
The
greater emphasis should be placed on the role of Vietnam;
discouraging future out-flows of non-refugees is of fundamental importance, and pressure must be exerted on Vietnam to that end;
economic motives are playing an increasing role in departures from Vietnam;
third country resettlement of itself cannot resolve the problem;
screening mechanisms should be developed, and those not established to be bona fide refugees should be repatriated to Vietnam;
another international conference on Indo-Chinese refugees should be held.
These conclusions are generally consistent with thinking about a new policy in Hong Kong. We do not however see utility in the holding of a new international conference, which we believe would become snarled up on regional political problems.
Participants in the seminar felt that the concept of "first asylum" should be replaced by that of "first