CONFIDENTIAL
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MDHIAN 4198
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 2453
OF 2113OOZ JULY 89
INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA
INFO PRIORITY HANOI, BANGKOK
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: CALL BY VIEIRA DE MELLO
TO COPY C LIST?
1. DE MELLO CALLED ON ME ON 21 JULY EN ROUTE TO SC2 IN BANGKOK.
WE TALKED ABOUT PROGRESS WITH MANDATORY REPATRIATION. I SAID THAT WE
HAD BEEN TALKING TO THE VIETNAMESE SINCE ICIR BUT HAD YET TO REACH
FINAL AGREEMENT ON REPATRIATION OF NON VOLUNTEERS. MORE UNHCR INVOLVEMENT WOULD BE HELPFUL, ESPECIALLY IN MONITORING. I HAD HAD THE IMPRESSION IN GENEVA THAT UNHCR WERE NOT/NOT AVERSE TO SUCH A ROLE.
2. DE MELLO MADE CLEAR HIS PERSONAL WISH FOR UNHCR TO PLAY A ROLE IN MANDATORY RETURN. HE SAID THAT IT WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE TO PERSUADE
THE HIGH COMMISSIONER OF THIS WITHOUT PROPER SCREENING (WHICH HE
ACKNOWLEDGED HONG KONG NOW HAD). HE ALSO SAID THAT IF WE WERE TO
PROCEED IN THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE THE HIGH COMMISSIONER WOULD BE UNDER
TREMENDOUS PRESSURE TO REFUSE TO PLAY SUCH A ROLE. MORE TIME WAS
NEEDED TO CHANGE THE PSYCHOLOGY OF THOSE WHO HAD BEEN SCREENED OUT.
THE TIME THAT WAS NECESSARY TO CONDITION PEOPLE FOR RETURN (WHETHER VOLUNTARILY OR OTHERWISE) WOULD DIFFER FROM CASE TO CASE.
3. I TOLD DE MELLO THAT WE WERE STILL NEGOTIATING WITH THE
VIETNAMESE. WE DID NOT HAVE A SET DATE TO BEGIN REPATRIATION.
I STRESSED THAT THE LOCAL POLITICAL CLIMATE REQUIRED US TO BEGIN NON
VOLUNTARY RETURN AS SOON AS PRACTICABLE TO RELIEVE CONTINUING LOCAL
PRESSURE TO END FIRST ASYLUM.
WILSON
YYYY
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