CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 1702
OF 281438Z JUNE 88
INFO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA
INFO ROUTINE CANBERRA
CONFIDENTIAL
HKD 243
J
412
002463 MDHOAN 9301
TO COPY
DIST ?
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG: AUSTRALIAN POSITION
THE AUSTRALIAN HIGH COMMISSION HERE HAVE SHOWN US A COPY OF
A TELEGRAM WHICH CANBERRA HAVE SENT TO THE AUSTRALIA MISSION IN GENEVA, INSTRUCTING THEM TO SPEAK ROBUSTLY TO HOCKE ABOUT UNHCR'S ATTITUDE TO THE NEW POLICY ON VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN
HONG KONG. THE MAIN THRUST OF THE TELEGRAM IS THAT THE DECISION
TO INTRODUCE SCREENING WAS A SIGNIFICANT AND NECESSARY STEP IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF NON RESETTLEMENT SOLUTIONS, WHICH UNHCR SHOULD SEEK TO INTRODUCE ELSEWHERE IN THE REGION. UNHCR SHOULD
PARTICIPATE ACTIVELY AND VISIBLY IN THE SCREENING PROCESS IN HONG
KONG.
2.
FOLLOWING IS A SUMMARY OF THE MAIN POINTS:
THE SCREENING PROCEDURES PROPOSED ARE CONSISTENT WITH
HOCKE'S GENERAL APPROACH IN THE ICG TO THIS ISSUE.
THEY DO NOT CHALLENGE UNHCR'S THINKING ON FIRST ASYLUM
PRACTICES.
THEY WILL PROVIDE A VERY USEFUL FOCUS FOR DISCUSSION IN THE
ASEAN PMC AND THE LATER DEVELOPMENT OF THINKING IN FIRST ASYLUM
COUNTRIES AND IN HANOI.
THE DECISION TO INTRODUCE A NEW POLICY IS UNDERSTANDABLE AND
INEVITABLE UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES, GIVEN THAT THERE IS LITTLE
PROSPECT THAT RESETTLEMENT CAN RESOLVE THE PROBLEM.
UNHCR HAS AN OBLIGATION TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SCREENING
PROCEDURE, SO AS TO ENSURE THAT ACCEPTABLE ARRANGEMENTS ARE ESTABLISHED AND TO ENSURE THAT UNHCR IS SEEN TO PLAY A CENTRAL
ROLE FROM THE OUTSET IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE
FUTURE HANDLING OF THE SCREENED-OUT. IF UNHCR FAILS TO ACT IT
RUNS THE RISK OF ADDING A FURTHER CONFUSING ELEMENT TO THE
OVERALL SITUATION AT A TIME WHEN THE ASEAN FIRST ASYLUM COUNTRIES
ARE AT LAST BEGINNING TO COME TO TERMS WITH REALITIES.
FAILURE TO ACT ALSO RAISES THE ISSUE OF WHETHER OR NOT
UNHCR IS PROVIDING APPROPRIATE LEADERSHIP ON THE ISSUE OF
NON-RESETTLEMENT SOLUTIONS TO WHICH UNHCR AND, HOCKE IN PARTICULAR, ARE PUBLICLY COMMITTED.
1
PAGE
CONFIDENTIAL
·