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TO DESKBY 03050OZ BANGKOK
TELNO 566
OF 301615Z DECEMBER 88
INFO PRIORITY HANOI, HONG KONG
INFO ROUTINE UKMIS GENEVA, KUALA LUMPUR, WASHINGTON, CANBERRA INFO ROUTINE OTTAWA, TOKYO, MANILA
3336253
YOUR TELNO 833
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: DRAFTING GROUP
1. WE NOTE THAT THE (UNSATISFACTORY) PAPER PREPARED IN KUALA LUMPUR IS TO FORM THE BASIS OF THE DRAFTING GROUP'S WORK. OUR
GENERAL RESERVATIONS ON THAT TEXT WERE SPELT OUT IN KUALA LUMPUR
TELNO 672 AND IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT THERE SHOULD BE NO FURTHER
EROSION OF KEY POINTS OF PRINCIPLE. YOU SHOULD MAKE IT CLEAR FROM THE OUTSET THAT ANY LANGUAGE AGREED BY THE WORKING GROUP IS
AD REFERENDUM (UNDERLINED).
2.
REPATRIATION IS LIKELY TO REMAIN ONE OF THE MOST SENSITIVE ISSUES FOR ALL CONCERNED. IN VIEW OF THE UNHELPFUL POSITION
TAKEN BY THE AMERICANS DURING THE KUALA LUMPUR MEETING, IT WILL BE IMPORTANT TO CONCERT CLOSELY WITH THE US DELEGATION BEFORE AND DURING THE MEETING, IN PARTICULAR TO KEEP THEM TO SIGUR'S UNDERTAKING TO ACCEPT LANGUAGE THAT LEAVES OPEN WHETHER REPATRIATION IS TO BE VOLUNTARY OR INVOLUNTARY (WASHINGTON
3011). THIS IS THE MINIMUM (UNDERLINED) WE COULD ACCEPT. 3. ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE FOR DRAFTING PURPOSES IS SET OUT BELOW IN
THE ORDER THE ITEMS APPEARED IN THE KL PAPER. CLANDESTINE DEPARTURES (UNDERLINED)
TELNO
WE PREFER THIS PHRASE. THE USE OF QUOTE ILLEGAL DEPARTURES UNQUOTE SHOULD BE DISCOURAGED (SEE PARA 3A OF TUR). WE SHOULD LET UNHCR TAKE THE LEAD ON REDRAFTING PROPOSALS SINCE THEY HAD
MOST DIFFICULTY WITH THE KL TEXT. THE KEY ELEMENTS FOR US ARE
THAT MEASURES TO DISCOURAGE CLANDESTINE DEPARTURES SHOULD BE BOTH EFFECTIVE AND HUMANE. THIS PART OF THE PAPER COULD USEFULLY DRAW ATTENTION TO THE DETERRENT EFFECT OF A SUCCESSFUL SCREENING
AND WELL-PUBLICISED REPATRIATION PROGRAMME.
ODP AND MIGRATION PROGRAMMES (UNDERLINED)
WE HAVE NO OBJECTION TO STREAMLINING ODP PROCEDURES. BUT WE COULD NOT AGREE TO EXPANSION OF ODP CRITERIA NOR TO MEASURES THAT WOULD INCREASE THE FLOW UNLESS WE WERE SATISFIED THAT EFFECTIVE MEANS WERE IN PLACE TO RESOLVE THE DIFFICULTIES OF RECEPTION CENTRES IN THE UK WHO ARE ALREADY FINDING IT HARD TO COPE WITH UNPREDICTABLE FLUCTUATIONS IN THE RATE OF ARRIVALS UNDER ODP.
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