CONFIDENTIAL
147712
MDHIAN 3134
JOINT DECLARATIΟΝ,
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE
6.
ESTABLISHED
NAKAYAMA SAID THAT HIS GOVERNMENT WAS STUDYING THE VBP ISSUE CLOSELY. HE HAD VISITED THE ARGYLE VBP CAMP ON 3 NOVEMBER AND WAS AWARE OF THE DIFFICULTIES WE FACED. JAPAN HAD ALREADY PROVIDED
US DOLLARS 11 MILLION WORTH OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO US THROUGH UNHCR AND INTENDED TO CONTINUE THIS POLICY NEXT YEAR. THEY ALSO INTENDED TO DOUBLE THE AMOUNT OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
THEY GAVE TO UNHCR FOR VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION NEXT YEAR (US DOLLARS 170,000 THIS YEAR). IF A TRANSIT CENTRE WAS IN THE PHILIPPINES, THE JAPANESE WOULD AGAIN BE WILLING TO CO- OPERATE IN SUCH A PROJECT. THEY NOW FACED THEIR OWN INFLOW OF VBP. BUT MOST OF THEIR ARRIVALS WERE CHINESE IMMIGRANTS
POSING AS VIETNAMESE AND ON BEING REFUSED THE OPPORTUNITY TO
WORK IN JAPAN MOST VOLUNTEERED TO RETURN TO CHINA. THE VIETNAMESE
INFLOW INTO HONG KONG WAS CLEARLY FAR WORSE. IT WAS IMPORTANT
TO HALT THE FLOW AT SOURCE. THE JAPANESE WOULD CONSIDER AN
INITIATIVE EARLY NEXT YEAR WITH H HMG TO APPROACH THE VIETNAMESE ON FURTHER MEASURES TO HALT THE OUTFLOW. MEANWHILE, WHILE HE HAD BEEN IMPRESSED WITH OUR NGO PROGRAMMES IN THE CAMP
HE HAD VISITED, HE FELT THAT MORE MEDICAL ASSISTANCE AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING ASSISTANCE MIGHT ALSO BE GIVEN TO HONG KONG.
HE ASKED FOR MY VIEWS ON THE VBP PROBLEM AS A WHOLE.
7. I SAID THAT IT WAS COMPARATIVELY SIMPLE, IN TERMS OF INTERNATIONAL REACTIONS, BOTH FOR US AND THE JAPANESE TO RETURN PEOPLE TO CHINA. WE RETURNED SOME 20-30,000 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS TO CHINA EVERY YEAR. THE GREAT MAJORITY OF VIETNAMESE ARRIVALS
IN HONG KONG NO LONGER QUALIFIED FOR INTERNATIONAL RESETTLEMENT. UNFORTUNATELY, VERY FEW VOLUNTEERED OR WERE LIKELY TO DO SO. SOME 500 HAD BEEN RETURNED TO FAR. WE NEEDED ARRANGEMENTS TO SEND BACK THE REMAINDER WITH SUITABLE AGREEMENT OF NO PROSECUTION AND MONITORING ARRANGEMENTS. WE WERE WORKING HARD TO PUT THESE ARRANGEMENTS IN PLACE. NAKAYAMA ASKED IF UNHCR HAD A ROLE TO
PLAY IN THIS PROCESS. I SAID THAT UNHCR MUST REALISE THAT IT WAS NECESSARY TO MAKE PROPER ARRANGEMENTS FOR NON-REFUGEES IN ORDER TO PRESERVE THE PRESENT ARRANGEMENTS FOR GENUINE REFUGEES. UNHCR WERE UNWILLING TO FACE UP TO THIS CONCLUSION BE- CAUSE OF POSSIBLE INTERNATIONAL CRITICISM. WE HAD TOLD UNHCR WE WISHED TO INVOLVE THEM IN POST-RETURN MONITORING AND HAD WARNED THAT UNLESS ARRANGEMENTS FOR RETURN COULD BE PUT IN PLACE SOON, THE POLITICAL EXPLOSION THAT WOULD SURROUND A FURTHER INFLOW HERE NEXT YEAR WOULD PUT FIRST ASYLUM AT RISK.
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