CONFIDENTIAL
ན་ Kཐའ་ན ེཔ
112374
MDHOAN 4366
CAREFUL MEDIA HANDLING SO AS NOT INADVERTENTLY TO PRECIPITATE A RUSH OF NEW ARRIVALS, THERE WOULD BE BENEFIT IN TRANSFERRING THOSE IN CLOSED CENTRES UNDER EXISTING POLICY TO OPEN CENTRES ON OR AFTER THE INTRODUCTION OF A NEW POLICY. SUCH A MOVE COULD ASSIST IN INTERNATIONAL PRESENTATION OF THE PACKAGE, AND COULD BE OF CONSIDERABLE BENEFIT IN REDUCING THE CURRENT BURDEN ON HONG KONG BEFORE RESETTLEMENT CAN TAKE PLACE.
(F) THOSE SCREENED IN AS REFUGEES: WOULD YOU ENVISAGE ACCOMMODATING THOSE IN OPEN CAMPS?
(G) THOSE SCREENED OUT: PROVIDED THAT THE NEW POLICY HAS CREDIBILITY, A REASONABLE NUMBER OF THOSE SCREENED OUT MIGHT EVENTUALLY APPLY FOR VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION EVEN BEFORE A PROGRAMME FOR RETURNING ALL THOSE SCREENED OUT HAD BEEN AGREED. SUCH APPLICATIONS COULD BE FORWARDED TO VIETNAM.
(H) ALTHOUGH UNHCR'S AID PROPOSALS ARE UNDER CONSIDERATION THEY WILL TAKE TIME TO IMPLEMENT, AND MAY NOT IN THE EVENT PROVE TEMPTING TO VIETNAM. YOU MAY WISH TO CONSIDER WHETHER THERE ARE ANY DOUCEURS OF A BILATERAL KIND WHICH HONG KONG COULD OFFER (OVER AIR SERVICES, OR TRADE ARRANGEMENTS?) WHICH MIGHT HELP TEMPT VIETNAM TO BE CO-OPERATIVE.
6.
ASPECTS FALLING MAINLY TO US FOR FURTHER STUDY INCLUDE:
(A) INTERNATIONAL PRESENTATION OF THE NEW INITIATIVE: BOTH THE PACKAGE ITSELF AND THE FORA IN WHICH WE SHOULD PRESENT IT. THE POSSIBILITIES INCLUDE ACTION IN THE ICG AND BILATERAL
APPROACHES TO RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES, UNHCR AND ASEAN.
(B) PRESSURE ON VIETNAM: WE WILL WISH TO CONSIDER HOW MOST EFFECTIVELY TO STEP UP PRESSURE ON VIETNAM, DIRECTLY AND INDIRECTLY, BILATERALLY AND MULTILATERALLY, TO ACCEPT BACK THOSE SCREENED OUT.
7.
WE WILL BOTH NEED TO CONSIDER WHAT SHOULD BE THE MAIN ELEMENTS OF THE BROADER PACKAGE. ONE ASPECT WILL BE THE SCOPE OF THE RESETTLEMENT COMMITMENTS TO BE SOUGHT FROM OTHERS, COVERING THOSE NOW IN THE OPEN AND CLOSED CENTRES AS WELL AS THOSE SCREENED IN UNDER FUTURE ARRANGEMENTS, AS AN ACCOMPANIMENT TO THE INTRODUCTION OF YOUR NEW POLICY. DESPITE THE PRIVATE INDICATIONS WHICH WE RECEIVED (PARA 3 OF MIPT) WE SHOULD NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE DIFFICULTY OF SECURING AGREEMENT ON A SUFFICIENTLY FAR-REACHING INTERNATIONAL RESETTLEMENT EFFORT. WILL NEED TO CONSIDER HOW HMG AND HONG KONG MIGHT GIVE A LEAD. WE MAY ALSO WISH TO PUT DOWN A MARKER THAT FURTHER ASSISTANCE ON RESETTLEMENT MIGHT BE SOUGHT FOR THOSE SCREENED OUT IN THE EVENT THAT NO AGREEMENT ON REPATRIATION COULD BE REACHED AND PROBLEMS OF MANAGEMENT BECAME UNCONTAINABLE AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME.
8.
WE
A FURTHER ASPECT FOR STUDY WOULD BE THE NEED FOR A REGIONAL
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CONFIDENTIAL