CONFIDENTIAL
164716
MDHIAN 5078
COVERING NATIONAL RECONCILIATION. THE UNITED STATES HAD ALSO URGED THE FRENCH TO CONSIDER INVOLVEMENT BY THE FIVE PERMANENT MEMBERS OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL. GILLMORE COMMENTED THAT WE HAD THOUGHT THAT THE CENTRAL COORDINATING GROUP MIGHT FILL THE ROLE WHICH THE AMERICANS ENVISAGED FOR AN EXTRA WORKING GROUP.
4. BAKER SAID THAT IT WAS ENCOURAGING THAT THE UN WOULD PROVIDE THE BASIC CONTROL MECHANISM. HE HAD NOT SPOKEN TO THE CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER BUT HE THOUGHT THE QUESTION OF KHMER ROUGE PARTICIPATION IN, AS OPPOSED TO DOMINATION OF, THE CAMBODIAN GOVERNMENT COULD BE RESOLVED. THE KHMER ROUGEH SEEMED TO BE WILLING TO FURNISH LISTS OF NAMES TO SIHANOUK WHO WOULD BE ABLE TO STRIKE OUT ANY WHO WERE UNACCEPTABLE. SIHANOUK WAS STILL FIRMLY OF THE VIEWS THAT THE KHMER ROUGEH MUST PARTICIPATE. THE US ATTITUDE WOULD BE GOVERNED BY THE LEVEL AND DEGREE OF PARICIPATION. IN GENERAL THERE WAS CLEARLY NO MEETING OF MINDS. HUN SEN WAS DETERNMINED THAT SIHANOUK SHOULD BE A FIGUREHEAD ONLY. SIHANOUK WAS EQUALLY DETERMINED THAT HE SHOULD PLAY A SUBSTANTIVE ROLE. THE FRENCH THOUGHT THEY COULD GET OVER THE PROBLEM BY PUTTING A COMMISSION IN PLACE OVER THE TOP. DESPITE THE PROBLEMS THERE WAS NO OTHER GAME IN TOWN.
HONG KONG/BOAT PEOPLE
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5. BAKER SAID HE UNDERSTOOD THE POLITICAL PRESSURE IN HONG KONG AND
OUR NEED TO HOLD DISCUSSIONS WITH VIETNAM ON REPARTIATION OF BOAT PEOPLE. THE BRITISH AND AMERICAN GOVERNMENTS NEVER FELL OUT BUT THIS WHOLE QUESTION DID GIVE THEM PAUSE. THE US WANTED TO GIVE THE GENEVA COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF ACTION A CHANCE. VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION MUST BE GIVEN TIME TO WORK - CARRIED OUT WITH THE COOPERATION OF THE UNHCR. THIE MEANT A UNHCR PRESENCE AT THE SCREENING PROCESS, AND REPATRIATIONS ACCOMPANIED BY UNHCR REPRESENTATIVES. BAKER HANDED OVER TWO CHARTS (BY HAND TO SEAD) SETTING OUT THE US RECORD ON REFUGEES. HE ADDED THAT HE WANTED TO PLEAD WITH US FOR MORE TIME TO SEE IF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF ACTION COULD WORK. IT WAS VITAL NOT TO LOSE THE MALAYS AND THE THAIS WHO MIGHT WELL OPT FOR PUSHING
OFF BOAT PEOPLE IF THE CPA CAME UNSTUCK.
6. THE SECRETARY OF STATE SAID THAT WE WERE STILL RECEIVING A VERY SUBSTANTIAL INFLUX OF BOAT PEOPLE AND THE NUMBERS IN THE CAMPS WERE GROWING. 8000 HAD ARRIVED SINCE THE GENEVA CONFERENCE. THERE HAD BEEN SEVERAL SIGNIFICANT DISTURBANCES IN THE CAMPS AND ONE PERSON
HAD BEEN KILLED. THESE INCIDENTS WOULD BE INVESTIGATED BUT CONCERN IN HONG KONG ABOUT THE CAMPS WAS GROWING. WE WOULD CONTINUE TO TRY
TO FIND PEOPLE WHO WERE PREPARED TO GO BACK AND WERE EMPLOYING THE FULL SCREENING PROCESS. BUT ECONOMIC REFUGEES FACED A GRUESOME
CHOICE. EITHER THEY STAYED IN THE CAMPS WITH ALL THE ENORMOUS PROBLEMS IT ENTAILED, OR WE TRIED TO PERSUADE THEM TO RETURN HOME. IF WE COULD NOT PERSUADE THEM, WE WOULD HAVE TO TAKE ACTION AND
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CONFIDENTIAL