CONFIDENTIAL
034652
MDHIAN 1984
3.
TO
THE MALAYSIANS NOW CLAIM TO BE HOPING THAT THEY WILL BE ABLE
CLOSE THE PULAU BIDONG REFUGEE CENTRE BEFORE THEIR ORIGINAL
APRIL 89 DEADLINE. HOWEVER AMBASSADOR YAHYA ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE
YEAR DEADLINE HAD BEEN ARTIFICIAL AND MUCH WOULD DEPEND ON THE
RESPONSE OF RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES. THERE WAS STILL A LOT
TO BE DONE. THE MALAYSIANS BELIEVE THAT ANY REFUGEES WHO WERE
NOT RESETTLED BY THIRD COUNTRIES COULD BE 'PERSUADED' TO RETURN
TO VIETNAM VOLUNTARILY DEEP DOWN THE VIETNAMESE DID NOT
REALLY CARE WHETHER THOSE WHO WOULD BE REPATRIATED WERE VOLUNTARY
OR NOT. THOSE WHO RETURNED WOULD NEED INCENTIVES AND FINANCIAL
ASSISTANCE WITH RESETTLEMENT. MALAYSIA COULD NOT MEET THESE COSTS
ALONE BUT WOULD REQUIRE INTERNATIONAL HELP. THE VIETNAMESE DID
NOT ASK THEM FOR ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE BEYOND HELP WITH REPATRIATION
EXPENSES.
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4. DETAILS OF HOW TO IMPLEMENT THE REPATRIATION HAD NOT BEEN
EXAMINED. A VIETNAMESE TEAM OF OFFICIALS WILL VISIT MALAYSIA
FOR FURTHER TALKS EITHER BEFORE OR AFTER THE PREPARATORY MEETING
ON REFUGEES. THE EXTENT TO WHICH VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS WOULD BE
INVOLVED IN THE SCREENING AND REPATRIATION PROCESS WAS NOT DISCUSSED. HOWEVER AMBASSADOR YAHYA CONFIRMED THAT THE UNHCR WOULD
HAVE TO BE INVOLVED IN THE REPATRIATION PROCESS AND IN THE
DEPORTATION OF ANY NEW ARRIVALS. HE ALSO CONFIRMED THAT THE COMMIT- MENT MADE BY MALAYSIA DURING THE 1979 GENEVA CONFERENCE TO WAIVE
THEIR IMMIGRATION LAWS IN THE CASE OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES HAD BEEN WITHDRAWN. ALL NEW ARRIVALS WOULD BE SUBJECT TO MALAYSIAN LAW.IF
IMMIGRANTS THEY WOULD BE DEPORTED.
THEY WERE FOUND TO BE ILLEGAL
6.
MALAYSIA HOPED THAT LAOS AS WELL AS VIETNAM, THE UNHCR AND ALL THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE ORIGINAL CONFERENCE ON INDOCHINA
REFUGEES WOULD TAKE PART IN THE PREPARATORY MEETING DUE TO TAKE PLACE IN KUALA LUMPUR BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR. THE MEETING
WOULD BE OPEN TO ALL WHO WANTED TO PARTICIPATE. THE LOCATION OF THE SECOND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE DUE TO TAKE PLACE EARLY NEXT YEAR HAD NOT BEEN DECIDED. MALAYSIA WOULD HAVE NO OBJECTION TO GENEVA.
THE VIETNAMESE WERE KEEN TO TALK ABOUT BILATERAL RELATIONS
AND CAMBODIA (REPORTED SEPARATELY) TO SEAD AND PRESSED HARD
FOR MALAYSIA TO ACCEPT AN OFFICIAL MINISTERIAL TRADE DELEGATION AND PROPOSED A JOINT COMMISSION ON ECONOMIC SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL COOPERATION. FOLLOWING THE ASEAN LINE, MALAYSIA REFUSED TO DISCUSS BILATERAL MATTERS OR TO CONSIDER A TRADE
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