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WHKD MOLOAN 1001
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TO PRIORITY ATHENS
TELNO 186
OF 192117Z JULY 88
INFO PRIORITY OTHER EC POSTS, MOSCOW, WASHINGTON, UKDEL NATO INFO PRIORITY UKMIS NEW YORK, UKMIS GENEVA STRASBOURG, TOKYO INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, HANOI, BANGKOK, KUALA LUMPUR, SINGAPORE INFO ROUTINE BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, PEKING, JAKARTA, MANILA
INFO ROUTINE CANBERRA
EPC MINISTERIAL MEETING, 18 JULY: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE
SUMMARY
1.
I SOUGHT SUPPORT FOR OUR EFFORTS TO DEAL WITH THE GROWING
PROBLEMS POSED TO PLACES OF FIRST ASYLUM BY VIETNAMESE BOAT
PEOPLE.
DETAIL
2. I DESCRIBED THE DRAMATIC INCREASE IN NUMBERS OF BOAT PEOPLE
REACHING THAILAND AND HONG KONG. WE HOPED THAT IT WOULD BE
POSSIBLE FOR THE TWELVE TO MAKE A DEMARCHE IN HANOI AS SOON AS
POSSIBLE. THIS WOULD USEFULLY SERVE TO MAINTAIN INTERNATIONAL
PRESSURE ON VIETNAM TO TAKE THE PLANNED TALKS WITH PLACES OF
FIRST ASYLUM AND UNHCR SERIOUSLY. WE HAD CIRCULATED A DRAFT
TEXT THAT WE HOPED OTHERS COULD ACCEPT.
3.
1
CHEYSSON (COMMISSION) INTERVENED AT UNEXPECTED LENGTH. HE
ACKNOWLEDGED THAT PLACES OF FIRST ASYLUM IN THE REGION COULD NO
LONGER BE EXPECTED TO RECEIVE THE 'ECONOMIC'' REFUGEES NOW
LEAVING VIETNAM IN GREAT NUMBERS. BUT A DEMARCHE ON THE RETURN
OF SUCH PEOPLE SHOULD DRAW A SUITABLE DISTINCTION WITH THE CASE
OF POLITICAL REFUGEES : WE HAD FOR YEARS BEEN PRESSING VIETNAM TO
ALLOW PEOPLE TO LEAVE FREELY. THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM WAS THE
DIRE ECONOMIC SITUATION. WE SHOULD HAVE NO ILLUSIONS: THE
PROBLEM WOULD DRAG ON FOR A LONG TIME.
HOWE
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