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MDHOAN 1329
STRIKE THE RIGHT BALANCE BETWEEN CASTIGATING THE VIETNAMESE FOR
ADAPTING THE POLICIES WHICH HAVE CREATED THE PROBLEM AND OFFERING
THE PROSPECT OF PRACTICAL CO-OPERATION IN ORDER TO DEAL WITH IT.
WE HAVE THE FOLLOWING SPECIFIC COMMENTS ON THE TEXT:
(A) PARA 2: WE AGREE WITH UKMIS GENEVA (THEIR TELNO 418) THAT IT
WOULD BE WORTH REFERRING TO THE ODP DISCUSSIONS AND BILATERAL CONTACTS IN LATE MAY/EARLY JUNE IN GENEVA. CLIFT MIGHT ALSO MENTION THE CONTACTS IN LONDON BETWEEN GILLMORE/MCLAREN AND THE VIETNAMESE AMBASSADOR THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE SINCE MAY. (B) PARA 2: WE SUGGEST, HOWEVER, THAT CLIFT MIGHT GIVE PARTICULAR
EMPHASIS TO MY EXCHANGE WITH CO THACH IN NEW YORK ON 7 JUNE
(FCO TELNO 138). IT MIGHT BE WORTH QUOTING WHAT I SAID ON
THAT OCCASION.
(C) PARA 8 (B): WE WOULD PREFER FOR THE TEAM TO AVOID THE WORD
QUOTE ILLEGAL UNQUOTE TO DESCRIBE THESE DEPARTURES. WE SUPPORT THE PRINCIPLE OF FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT. WHAT WE WANT
TO DO IS TO STOP DEPARTURES OF ECONOMIC MIGRANTS WHICH
BOTH HAZARDOUS AND ULTIMATELY FUTILE.
ARE
WE
(D) PARA 9: ON ODP, WE WOULD PREFER THE SECOND AND THIRD
SENTENCES OF THIS PARAGRAPH TO BE REPLACED BY SOMETHING ΟΝ
THE FOLLOWING LINES: QUOTE THE ORDERLY DEPARTURE PROGRAMME
PROVIDES ONE APPROPRIATE AND LEGITIMATE MEANS OF EXIT. ARE PLEASED TO NOTE THAT ODPS HAVE GENERALLY BEEN WORKING SMOOTHLY IN RECENT MONTHS. WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO DEVELOP THESE PROGRAMMES. UNQUOTE.
DEFENSIVE POINTS (YOUR TELNO 2794 AND 2843)
6.
ARE:
YOUR DRAFT COVERS THE GROUND WELL. OUR SPECIFIC COMMENTS
(A) WE SUGGEST THAT IF THE VIETNAMESE ATTEMPT TO LIMIT DISCUSSION
TO VOLUNTARY CASES CLIFT SHOULD RESPOND ROBUSTLY ON THE FOLLOWING LINES: QUOTE VIETNAM'S WILLINGNESS TO ACCEPT BACK ALL THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN SCREENED OUT AS NON-REFUGEES MUST BE A CENTRAL PART OF ANY AGREEMENT TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM.
NONE OF THE PEOPLE IN THIS CATEGORY HAVE ANY PROSPECT OF RESETTLEMENT. THEIR FUTURE LIES IN VIETNAM ALONE. THEY ARE
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WHO SHOULD BE RETURNED TO THEIR COUNTRY OF ORIGIN, IN ACCORDANCE WITH NORMAL INTERNATIONAL PRACTICE. THAT IS THE VIEW OF UNHCR, OF THE COUNTRIES OF FIRST ASYLUM AND OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY GENERALLY. UNQUOTE. COULD AT HIS DISCRETION DEPLOY THE POINT IN PARA 2 OF FIRST TUR, MAKING IT CLEAR HOWEVER THAT CLEARING THE BACKLOG OF VOLUNTARY RETURNS WOULD BE NO SUBSTITUTE FOR ADDRESSING THE CENTRAL PROBLEM.
CLIFT
(B) WE SHOULD PREFER A MORE RESERVED LINE AT THIS STAGE ON THE
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