CONFIDENTIAL
115.444
MDHIAN 4776
VOLUNTEERS. LYMON ADDED THAT THE UNHCR WERE STEPPING UP THEIR PROPAGANDA IN VIETNAM, WHICH MIGHT HELP TO DISCOURAGE A FURTHER WAVE OF ARRIVALS NEXT YEAR.
8.
MCLAREN STRESSED AGAIN THAT WE WANTED THE VOLUNTARY PROGRAMME TO WORK. IN RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS FROM SEITZ ABOUT OUR OWN CONTACTS WITH UNHCR FOLLOWING HASWELL'S VISIT, HE SAID THAT WE HAD BEEN CONSTANTLY PRESSING THE UNHCR TO DO MORE. BUT HONG KONG
HAD NOW HAD MORE THAN A YEAR'S EXPERIENCE WITH THE VOLUNTARY
PROGRAMME, AND THE FACT WAS THAT IT HAD NOT PRODUCED ANYTHING
LIKE ENOUGH POTENTIAL VOLUNTEERS TO EASE THE POLITICAL PRESSURES
IN HONG KONG.
9.
MCLAREN ADDED THAT WE HAD LOOKED HARD FOR OTHER ALTERNATIVES,
BUT NOTHING SEEMED PROMISING. AN RPC IN THE PHILIPPINES WOULD BE
HELPFUL IF IT ENABLED US TO MOVE SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS FROM HONG
KONG QUICKLY. BUT THERE WAS LITTLE SIGN THAT THE PHILIPPINES WERE WILLING TO MOVE (US AMBASSADOR TO MANILA, PLATT, WHOM MCLAREN MET BY CHANCE IN THE STATE DEPARTMENT, LATER CORROBORATED THIS). IN RESPONSE TO A QUESTION FROM MRS LAFONTANT, MCLAREN AGREED THAT AN INCREASE IN THE RESETTLEMENT OF LONG-STAYING REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG WOULD HELP, BUT THIS WAS NOT THE MOST PRESSING ISSUE.
10. SEITZ CONCLUDED THAT THE US ATTACHED IMPORTANT TO MAKING THE
CPA WORK. IT WOULD BE VITAL TO DEMONSTRATE THAT THE MECHANISMS ENVISAGED IN THE CPA HAD BEEN PROPERLY IMPLEMENTED BEFORE
CONCLUDING THAT VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION HAD FAILED.
IMPORTANCE OF THE POINTS IN THE US PAPER.
HENCE THE
11. MCLAREN NOTED THE EFFORTS IN EARLIER DISCUSSIONS TO DEFINE A QUOTE GREY AREA UNQUOTE. THIS DID NOT SEEM TO HAVE BEEN VERY PRODUCTIVE. IF WE HAD TO RETURN PEOPLE WHO WERE NOT VOLUNTEERS, WE WOULD OF COURSE TRY TO DO SO BY PERSUASION ALONE. BUT IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF HONG KONG, WE COULD NOT GIVE ANY CAST IRON GUARANTEES.
12. DISCUSSION WITH OTHERS COVERED SIMILAR GROUND. JACKSON EMPHASISED (AS HE HAS DONE ON PREVIOUS OCCASIONS) THAT INVOLUNTARY REPATRIATION WOULD POSE VERY SERIOUS PROBLEMS FOR THE
ADMINISTRATION. SOLOMON MADE THE POINT THAT THE FAILURE OF THE
CAMBODIA CONFERENCE HAD NOT IMPROVED THE VIETNAMESE IMAGE IN THE US, AND HAD PROBABLY THEREFORE MADE THE BOAT PEOPLE DILEMMA WORSE.
PAGE
CONFIDENTIAL
3