RESTRICTED
FM MANILA
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 254
OF 16063OZ JUNE 88
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG
HKD 243/8
RESTRICTED
88
INFO ROUTINE KUALA LUMPUR, JAKARTA, SINGAPORE
INFO ROUTINE BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, BANGKOK
338
144767
MDLIAN 5892
TO
LAST
YOUR TELNO 250 TO BANGKOK: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: CHANGE OF POLICY.
HEAD OF CHANCERY TOOK ACTION WITH ARAGON, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE ASIAN AND PACIFIC AFFAIRS DIVISION AT THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS (DFA).
1.
2.
ARAGON SAID THAT THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT WERE FOLLOWING
THE REFUGEE ISSUE VERY CLOSELY. THEY HAD NOTED A HARDENING
OF ATTITUDE IN RECEIVING COUNTRIES AND WERE THEMSELVES
COMING UNDER INCREASING DOMESTIC PRESSURE TO TAKE A TOUGHER
LINE, PARTICULARLY IN THE AREAS CLOSE TO THE REFUGEE CENTRES IN PALAWAN AND BATAAN. THERE WAS LOCAL RESENTMENT AT THE
FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT AFFORDED TO REFUGEES AND AT THEIR HIGHER
STANDARD OF WELFARE PROVISION. THERE WAS A GROWING FEELING THAT
THERE WOULD BE LESS OF A PROBLEM IF THE US NAVY CHANGED THEIR
POLICY OF ACTIVELY SEARCHING FOR REFUGEE BOATS. ARAGON SAID
THAT THE DFA HAD RECENTLY TURNED DOWN A PROPOSAL FROM A FORMER SOUTH VIETNAMESE GENERAL BASED IN CALIFORNIA TO BUY
OR RENT A PHILIPPINE ISLAND FOR USE AS A TEMPORARY RESETTLEMENT
AREA.
ARAGON EXPRESSED SOME SCEPTICISM ABOUT THE PROSPECT OF
NEGOTIATIONG ACCEPTABLE REPATRIATION PROCEDURES AND SAFEGUARDS
WITH THE VIETNAMESE AND ASKED TO BE KEPT IN CLOSE TOUCH.
3.
COMMENT
4.
THE PHILIPPINES IS PROBABLY THE ODD MAN OUT IN ASEAN ON
THE REFUGEE ISSUE. THEY REMAIN GENUINELY COMMITTED TO THEIR
HUMANITARIAN POLICY OF FIRST ASYLUM BUT ARE CONCERNED THAT THE
TOUGHER LINE BEING ADOPTED BY THEIR ASEAN NEIGHBOURS MAY
INCREASE THE NUMBER OF REFUGEES COMING TO THE PHILIPPINES.
THE PHILIPPPINE ARRIVAL RATE IS ABOUT 2-3000 REFUGEES A YEAR
ALTHOUGH MOST ACHIEVE RESETTLEMENT IN THE UNITED STATES, CANADA OR
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