RESTRICTED
173620
MDLIAN 0423
RESTRICTED
FM PARIS
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 1029
OF 01183OZ AUGUST 89
INFO PRIORITY WASHINGTON, HONG KONG, HANOI, UKMIS GENEVA
FROM GILLMORE AND COLVIN
PARIS TELNO 1014: VIENTAMESE BOAT PEOPLE
US ATTITUDES
SUMMARY
1. AMERICAN OFFICIALS BRIEFED IN DETAIL ON LATEST POSITION AND NEED
TO INVOLVE UNHCR IN REPATRIATION OF NON-VOLUNTEERS FROM THE QUOTE GREY AREA UNQUOTE ZOELLICK AND BOLTON TO REPORT TO EAGLEBURGER AND SELIN.
DETAIL
2. IN THE MARGINS OF THE CAMBODIA CONFERENCE, GILLMORE AND COLVIN HAD A WORKING LUNCH WITH SOLOMON, BOLTON, LAMBERTSON AND KIRBY, VIEIRA DE MELLO (UNHCR) WAS ALSO PRESENT, TAKING COPIOUS NOTES.
3. GILLMORE REFERRED TO HIS DETAILED BRIEFING OF ZOELLICK THE PREVIOUS DAY (SEE PARAGRAPH 6 BELOW) PRIOR TO HIS RETURN TO
WASHINGTON WITH SECRETARY BAKER. HE THEN EXPLAINED USING A HAND WRITTEN FLOW CHART (SUBSEQUENTLY GIVEN TO LAMBERTSON) THE PROCEDURE FOR PROCESSING ASYLUM SEEKERS ARRIVING IN HONG KONG. AT ANY STAGE IN THE SCREENING PROCESS, ASYLUM SEEKERS COULD VOLUNTEER TO RETURN TO VIETNAM UNDER THE TERMS OF THE BILATERAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN UNHCR AND
VIETNAM OF 13 DECEMBER 1988. THIS PROVIDED INTER ALIA FOR UNHCR TO
ACT AS A CHANNEL FOR REINTEGRATION ASSISTANCE AND CARRY OUT POST-RETURN MONITORING IN VIETNAM (NOT PRIOR TO DEPARTURE). ONCE
THE SCREENING PROCEDURE HAS BEEN CONCLUDED AND APPEALS REJECTED, THE CASE LOAD OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS COULD BE DIVIDED INTO THREE BROAD CATEGORIES:
(I)
THOSE WISHING TO VOLUNTEER (IE SIGN THE UNHCR VOLUNTARY RETURN FORM):
(II) THOSE REFUSING ALL ATTEMPTS TO PERSUADE THEM TO GO BACK: (III) THOSE IN THE MIDDLE, THE QUOTE GREY AREA UNQUOTE, OF PEOPLE
WHO, WHILST REFUSING TO SIGN THE VOLUNTARY RETURN FORM, WOULD NEVERTHELESS ACCEPT THAT THERE WAS NO ALTERNATIVE TO THEIR RETURN. WE WERE INTERESTED IN REPATRIATING THOSE IN THE THIRD CATEGORY THE SO-CALLED ACQUIESCENTS, WITHOUT THE USE OF FORCE. UNFORTUNATELY THE UNHCR REFUSED TO INVOLVE THEMSELVES IN
1
PAGE
RESTRICTED