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CONFIDENTIAL
MCD 2431 FOR
167676
MDHOAN 6033
Q DIST 2
COPY
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO DESKBY 060100Z HONG KONG
TELNO 2605
OF 051520Z OCTOBER 88
INFO PRIORITY HANOI, UKMIS GENEVA
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: PREPARATION FOR FORTHCOMING TALKS 1. IT WILL BE VERY DIFFICULT TO PERSUADE THE VIETNAMESE TO ACCEPT A COMPREHENSIVE ARRANGEMENT FOR THE RETURN
REAL CONCERNS ABOUT BAD OF ALL (ALL) NON-REFUGEES. THEY MAY HAVE INTERNATIONAL PUBLICITY AND ABOUT REINTEGRATION PROBLEMS WHICH COULD ARISE FROM INVOLUNTARY RETURNS. A PHASED IMPLEMENTATION OF
THE A COMPREHENSIVE AGREEMENT MIGHT BE MORE ATTRACTIVE TO THEM. FIRST PHASE COULD BE TO MOUNT A MAJOR PROGRAMME IN THE CAMPS TO ENCOURAGE VOLUNTEERS TO COME FORWARD. THE SECOND PHASE FOR NON-VOLUNTARY RETURNS WOULD PROBABLY OVERLAP THE FIRST PHASE AND WOULD BEGIN AFTER, SAY, 6 MONTHS.
IN THE CONTEXT OF A COMPREHENSIVE SETTLEMENT, INDIVIDUALS WOULD HAVE VIETNAMESE ASSURANCES FOR THEIR HUMANE TREATMENT ON RETURN, THE PROSPECT OF SOME REINTEGRATION ASSISTANCE AND SOME FORM OF MONITORING BY UNHCR. THEY WOULD, HOPEFULLY, HAVE SEEN
AND THEY THE 300 EARLIER VOLUNTEERS RETURNED WITHOUT PROBLEMS. WOULD FACE THE PROSPECT OF BEING RETURNED TO VIETNAM IN ANY EVENT, REGARDLESS OF THEIR WISHES. IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES IT IS TO HE HOPED THAT SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS WOULD COME TO TERMS WITH THEIR FATE AND DECIDE, OF THEIR OWN ACCORD, TO RETURN TO VIETNAM. THIS WOULD REDUCE, HOPEFULLY SUBSTANTIALLY, THE NUMBER OF INVOLUNTARY RETURNS.
3.
THOSE IN THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY WHO HAVE RESERVATIONS ABOUT INVOLUNTARY RETURNS TO VIETNAM MIGHT FIND THIS APPROACH, GIVING INDIVIDUALS TIME TO COME TO TERMS WITH THE IDEA OF THEIR RETURN, MORE ACCEPTABLE.
4. SUBJECT TO YOUR VIEWS WE WILL PREPARE AN ADDITIONAL SECTION ON THIS FOR THE SPEAKING NOTE FOR ITEM 4 ON OUR AGENDA.
HOWE
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