RESTRICTED
FM BANGKOK
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 833
OF 29043OZ DECEMBER 88
RESTRICTED
HKD 243/5
AND TO PRIORITY HANOI, HONG KONG
253
120007 MDLIAN 4701
TOP COPY O DIST 7
INFO ROUTINE UKMIS GENEVA, KUALA LUMPUR, WASHINGTON
INFO ROUTINE CANBERRA OTTAWA, TOKYO, MANILA
(251)
YOUR TELNO 563: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: DRAFTING GROUP.
1.
IT NOW SEEMS LIKELY THAT THIS MEETING WILL GO AHEAD HERE
FROM 4-6 JANUARY. IT IS ENVISAGED THAT DE MELLO WILL ATTEND AND THAIR MEETING. PHILIPPINES NOW ALSO INCLUDED SO GROUP WILL CONSIST OF SEVEN COUNTRY REPRESENTATIVES PLUS UNHCR. WE WOULD WELCOME PARTICIPATION OF PATRIDGE (HANOI) IF HE CAN BE SPARED.
2. UNHCR HELD INFORMAL, PRELIMINARY TALKS WITH THAI MFA ON 27 DECEMBER (USA AND AUSTRALIANS ALSO ATTENDED). WE UNDERSTAND THAT UNHCR/THAIS AGREED THAT THEY WOULD SUGGEST TO THE DRAFTING GROUP THAT THE KUALA LUMPUR PAPER WOULD FORM BASIS FOR REVISED DRAFT.
IT IS ENVISAGED THAT KL PAPER WOULD BE MORE CHRONOLOGICALLY SET OUT (AS IN BANGKOK PAPER PRODUCED IN EARLY NOVEMBER) AND FLESHED
OUT WHERE APPROPRIATE. THERE WOULD BE NO DRAFTING OF ANNEXES.
3=
THE AUSTRALIANS HAVE TOLD US THAT THERE WAS
ALSO SOME DISCUSSION BETWEEN THAIS AND UNHCR, ETC ON 27 DECEMBER ABOUT ASPECTS OF THE KUALA LUMPUR PAPER WHICH WOULD NEED ATTENTION. IT SEEMS LIKELY ACCORDING TO THE AUSTRALIANS, THE THE FOLLOWING POINTS WILL BE FOCUS OF DRAFTING GROUP'S MEETING:
A) DEPARTURE:
(I)
ILLEGAL DEPARTURE: ELABORATION OF LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL
PUBLICITY EFFORT (TO INCLUDE REFERENCE TO DISCOURAGEMENT OF
ILLEGAL DEPARTURES):
(II) ODP: EXPANSION OF KL PAPER ON TRANSIT/MEDICAL/MEDIA
ACTIVITIES. FOCUS SHOULD BE ON IMPROVING THE OPERATION
OF ODP RATHER THAN EXPANSION OF CEILINGS OR CRITERIA:
B) RECEPTION OF ARRIVEES/FIRST ASYLUM: EXPANSION OF THE TWO
POINTS IN THE KL PAPER TO INCLUDE REFERENCE TO EQUAL TREATMENT OF ALL ARRIVALS AND ACCESS BY UNHCR, ETC.
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