}
CON
CONFID CONF) L
3-0 DN18266
''NEGOTIATE
NTI A
HE CONFIRMED VIETNAM'S WILLINGNESS TO WITH THAILAND, AND OTHER REGIONAL COUNTRIES (HE MENTIONED MALAYSIA AND HONG KONG IN PARTICULAR), TO STOP THE FLOOD OF REFUGEES'.
J
HE SAID HOWEVER THAT PROPOSALS FOR THEM TO BE RETURNED TO VIETNAM NEEDED TO BE LINKED WITH FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR THEIR RESETTLEMENT: THEY HAD SOLD EVERYTHING' ON THEIR DEPARTURES.
HE COMPARED THIS TO THE PRECEDENTS SET BY RETURNEE PROGRAMS FOR AFGHANISTAN, BURMA, PAKISTAN AND LAOS.
ASKED WHETHER ACCEPTANCE OF RETURN UNDER SUCH CONDITIONS REPLACED VIETNAM'S STANDING POSITION THAT REPATRIATION WOULD BE CONSIDERED ONLY ''CASE-BY CASE, THACH RESPONDED THAT IT DID.
THACH STRESSED THAT ANY SUCH RETURNS MUST BE VOLUNTARY.
IN RESPONSE TO POINTS ON PERSONS SCREENED OUT AS ''ECONOMIC MIGRANTS RATHER THAN REFUGEES IN ACCORDANCE WITH INTERNATIONAL DEFINITIONS, HE SUGGESTED THAT THEIR PARTICULAR TREATMENT COULD BE NEGOTIATED: ''I AM SURE WE COULD HELP.
HOWEVER HE NOTED THE RISK THAT PERSONS WHO HAD LEFT FOR ECONOMIC REASONS MIGHT WELL DO SO AGAIN: MUCIT WOULD DEPEND ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE THEY RECEIVED WITH RESETTLEMENT IN VIETNAM.
HE SAID VIETNAM HAD ALWAYS MAINTAINED THAT DEPARTURES WERE MOTIVATED BY ECONOMIC HARDSHIP: OTHERS HAD NOW CHANGED THEIR MINDS (WE COMMENTED THAT THE LENGTH OF TIME SINCE THE WAR WAS A FACTOR).
JJ
ASKED ABOUT THE TREATMENT OF RETURNEES BY THE VIETNAMESE GOVERN- MENT, THACH EMPHASISED THE RECENT CLEMENCY SHOWN BY THE RELEASE OF MOST REMAINING REEDUCATION CAMP INMATES, AND VIETNAM'S AGREEMENT WITH THE U.S. ON ANRANGEMENTS FOR FORMER INMATES TO GO TO THE U.S.
IN RESPONGE TO THE SUGGESTION OF A STATEMENT BY VIETNAM THAT IT WOULD NOT DISCRIMINATE AGAINST RETURNLES, THACH SAID ONE PROBLEM WAS THAT THIS MIGHT LEAD RETURNEES TO BELIEVE THAT COULD ACT WITH GREATER IMPUNITY THAN OTHER CITIZENS : IN FACT
(HE SAID) THEY WOULD RETAIN THEIR CITIZENSHIP AND HAVE THE SAME RIGHTS AS OTHER CITIZENS OF VIETNAM.
THACH RE STATED PREVIOUS COMMITMENTS BY VIETNAM TO DO ITS BEST TO STEM THE CLANDESTINE OUTFLOW.
CONFIDENTIA CONFIDENTIZ
14
CONF1
I Z