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FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 2348
OF 21020OZ JUNE 88
INFO PRIORITY WASHINGTON
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154760
TOP COPY MDLIAN 6664 Q DIST ?
HKD 243/11 ниу
488
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: MESSAGE FROM INDOCHINA RESOURCE ACTION CENTER
WE UNDERSTAND THAT IRAC HAVE SENT A MESSAGE TO THE PRIME MINISTER ON BEHALF OF INDOCHINESE-AMERICAN COMMUNITY LEADERS, ACADEMICS AND REPRESENTATIVES OF INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN ORGANISATIONS WHO ATTENDED THE IRAC CONFERENCE IN WASHINGTON ON 8 JUNE. THE TEXT OF THE MESSAGE IS:
QUOTE
1. WE ARE DEEPLY DISTRESSED AT THE CHANGE OF POLICY ON VIETNAMES BOAT REFUGEES IN HONG KONG BEING WORKED OUT BETWEEN YOUR EXCELLENCY AND FOREIGN SECRETARY SIR GEOFFREY HOWE. WE REMIND YOU OF GREAT BRITAIN'S COMMITMENT TO THE 1979 UN GENEVA CONFERENCE TO GRANT ALL ARRIVING VIETNAMESE FIRST ASYLUM PENDING RE-SETTLEMENT, AND THE NECESSITY OF MAKING ANY CHANGES WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF ANOTHER
UN CONFERENCE.
2. EVEN IN THE CASE OF ADOPTION WITHIN THAI MULTI-LATERAL FRAMEWORK OF THE NEW POLICY OF REPATRIATION OF BOAT REFUGEES, A FAIR SCREENING PROCESS MUST BE SET UP UNDER THE AUSPICES OF UNHCR TO QUALIFY A GENUINE POLITICAL REFUGEES FOR RE-SETTLEMENT IN CONFORMITY WITH THE 1951 REFUGEE CONVENTION.
3. AS TO THOSE WHO ARE SCREENED OUT, ASSURANCE OF HUMANITARIAN TREAT- MENT UPON REPATRIATION MUST BE OBTAINED FROM THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNM- ENT.
4. ALL REPATRIATIONS SHOULD PREFERABLY WAIT SOMETIME UNTIL THE PERSONS TO BE RETURNED CHANGE THEIR MINDS AND DECIDE VOLUNTARILY TO COME BACK TO VIETNAM.
UNQUOTE
2. WE WOULD SUGGEST THE FOLLOWING POINTS BE MADE IN REPLY:
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