CONFIDENTIAL
༥༡ཆབསྶ་ཀུབ ཀ བ བ༔;z• ={ག་ མཐར་ངརྫོང་དུ
037647 MDHIAN 4207
4.
(B) THERE WERE A CLEAR INDICATION IN THE RATE OF ARRIVALS THAT, WITHOUT SUCH DRASTIC MEASURES, OUR EXISTING AND PLANNED CAMP ACCOMMODATION COULD NOT COPE.
WE STRESS THAT THE ABOVE REPRESENTS ONLY OUR INITIAL THINKING WITHIN THE ADMINISTRATION HERE AND THAT WE HAVE NOT (NOT) YET SOUGHT THE ADVICE OF EXCO ON THESE MEASURES.
5.
THE TWO OPTIONS HAVE HOWEVER BEEN DISCUSSED INFORMALLY WITH LOCAL CONSULAR REPRESENTATIVES OF USA, CANADA AND AUSTRALIA CAND WITH IAN SYMINGTON PRINCIPAL ADVISER ON INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION TO
THEY THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT DURING HIS RECENT VISIT HERE). INDICATED SUPPORT FOR A TOUGHER LINE, ESPECIALLY THE EXCLUSION OF NON-REFUGEES FROM ACCESS TO RESETTLEMENT PROCESSING. THE AUSTRALIANS HAD NO (NO) PARTICULAR DIFFICULTY WITH EITHER OPTION (A) OR (B). ON THE OTHER HAND THE US AND CANADIAN OFFICIALS HERE FELT THAT SCREENING WOULD MAKE TOUGHER MEASURES MORE ACCEPTABLE. NEVERTHELESS THEY ACCEPTED THAT NEITHER THE US NOR THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENTS HAD APPARENTLY SO FAR MADE REPRESENTATIONS TO THE THAI GOVERNMENT ON THE DETENTION ASPECT OF THE NEW THAI POLICY.
6. BEFORE PROCEEDING FURTHER WITH OUR IDEAS, WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO HAVE YOUR REACTION TO THE ABOVE OPTIONS IN TERMS OF OUR LEGAL, CONVENTIONAL AND (NEXT WORD UNDERLINED) CONSTITUTIONAL POSITION.
(QOUTE)
FROM THE
THE PROPOSED SEMINAR REFERRED TO IN OUR TELNO 1202 WAS MENTIONED TO FRENCH BY THAI MFA OFFICIALS AFTER THE MEETING REPORTED IN BANGKOK TELNO 1. DETAILS OF THE PROPOSED SEMINAR ARE NOT (NOT) YET CLEAR, BUT FRENCH WAS TOLD THAT A THAI QUASI-GOVERNMENTAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE (UNQUOTE) HAD OBTAINED FINANCIAL SUPPORT FORD FOUNDATION TO ORGANISE A SEMINAR ON THE VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE ISSUE. THE FORD FOUNDATION HAS APPARENTLY AGREED TO SPONSOR TRAVEL AND DAY-TO-DAY EXPENSES FOR UP TO THREE REPRESENTATIVES FROM EACH OF THE ASEAN COUNTRIES PLUS HONG KONG TO PARTICIPATE IN INFORMAL DISCUSSIONS ON THE PROBLEM. THE SEMINAR WOULD BE HELD IN LATE MAY OUTSIDE BANGKOK. WE AND BANGKOK ARE SEEKING MORE INFORMATION FROM THE THAI AUTHORITIES. ASSUMING THAT THE SEMINAR TAKES PLACE WE WOULD ANTICIPATE TAKING PART AS THIS WOULD PROVIDE A USEFUL FORUM TO TAKE FORWARD OUR EFFORTS TO CATALYSE A COMMON REGIONAL APPROACH.
WILSON
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