CONFIDENTIAL
FM UKMIS GENEVA
TO DESKBY 16090OZ FCO
TELNO 452
OF 151453Z AUGUST
CONFIDENTIAL
INFO DESKBY 1523OOZ HONG KONG
INFO IMMMEDIATE HANOI
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MDHIAN 0360
INFO ROUTINE BANGKOK, UKMIS NEW YORK, PEKING, SINGAPORE, MANILA INFO ROUTINE JAKARTA, WASHINGTON, BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, CANBERRA INFO ROUTINE OTTAWA, TOKYO, KUALA LUMPUR, EC POSTS
YOUR TELNO 207 (NOT TO ALL): VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG: TALKS WITH HANOI
1.
WE BRIEFED VIEIRA DE MELLO (UNHCR, ASIA BUREAU) ON 12 AUGUST AS INSTRUCTED.
UNHCR
2. DE MELLO SAID THAT UNHCR HAD NOT YET DECIDED WHAT THEIR ROLE SHOULD BE IN REPATRIATION ARRANGEMENTS, OR WHETHER THE HIGH COMMISSIONER SHOULD BE INVOLVED WITH SCREENED OUT'' COR NON-REFUGEES) WHERE A SCREENING PROGRAMME EXISTED. HOWEVER, HAD ACCEPTED AN INVOLVEMENT IN THE RETURN OF SCREENED-OUT LAOTIANS FROM THAILAND AND THE HIGH COMMISSIONER HAD, IN HIS LETTER OF 16 MAY TO CO THACH, IMPLIED THAT UNHCR WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO OFFER LIMITED HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE TO RETURNEES.
3. DE MELLO'S PERSONAL RESPONSE WAS THAT A UNHCR ROLE WOULD BE LIMITED TO MONITORING RETURNEES ON ARRIVAL IN VIETNAM, ENSURING GUARANTEES AND FUND RAISING FOR RETURNEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAMMES IMPLEMENTED BY OTHER INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS OR NGOS UNDER UNHCR SUPERVISION.
4. DE MELLO AGREED THAT THE HIGH COMMISSIONER'S MANDATE DID NOT EXTEND TO COVER THE RETURN OF SCREENED-OUT, IE PEOPLE NOT REGARDED AS OF CONCERN TO THE HIGH COMMISSIONER. A UNGA RESOLUTION TO EXTEND
HIS MANDATE TO COVER THE RETURN OF SCREENED-OUT VIETNAMESE BOAT-PEOPLE WOULD BE USEFUL, PREFERABLY AFTER A PACKAGE HAD BEEN AGREED WITH THE VIETNAMESE AND AFTER THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE PROPOSED BY MALAYSIA AND THAILAND. THE UNGA RESOLUTION WOULD BE HELPFUL IN MODIFYING THE BLANKET MANDATE OF 1975 THAT ALL PERSONS LEAVING VIETNAM IN BOATS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED REFUGEES.
5. DE MELLO'S PROVISIONAL TIMETABLE WOULD BE: (A) INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE EARLY 1989., (B) EXCOM OCTOBER 1989, CONSIDERATION OF
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