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CONFIDENTIAL
FM UKMIS GENEVA
TO DESKBY 18083OZ FCO
TELNO 645
OF 180016Z OCTOBER 1989
INFO DESKBY 18013OZ UKDEL KUALA LUMPUR, HONG KONG
INFO IMMEDIATE WASHINGTON, HANOI, BANGKOK, KUALA LUMPUR
INFO ROUTINE MANILA, SINGAPORE, OTTAWA, PARIS, CANBERRA, TOKYO INFO SAVING BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, JAKARTA, PEKING
FROM UK DELEGATION TO SC3
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: SC3: REPATRIATION
SUMMARY
1. USEFUL EXCHANGE ON VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION. US EMPHASIS ON THE NEED FOR FURTHER MEASURES BUT LIMITATIONS OF THE SCHEME EXPOSED. HELPFUL REFERENCES TO THE LAO REPATRIATION PROGRAMME WITH THAI PROPOSAL FOR TRANSIT CAMPS IN VIETNAM. US RESISTENCE TO A FULL DISCUSSION ON ALTERNATIVES.. WORKING GROUP CONVENED TO CONSIDER
DETAILS UNDER UK CHAIRMANSHIP.
DETAIL
2. AGENDA ITEM 4 (REPATRIATION) WAS REACHED ON THE AFTERNOON OF 16 OCTOBER. IN OPENING STATEMENTS WE AND THE AMERICANS LIMITED OURSELVES TO COMMENTING ON 4(A) (VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION) BUT DISCUSSION INEVITABLY LED INTO 4(B) (OTHER MEASURES).
3. THE AMERICANS STRESSED THE NEWNESS OF THE POLICY, THAT VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION REMAINED A VIABLE OPTION, AND THAT IT WAS TOO EARLY TO CONSIDER ALTERNATIVES. THE FRENCH SAID THAT MEMBERS WERE BOUND TO BE LOW INITIALLY BUT THAT EVERY EFFORT SHOULD BE MADE TO BOOST THEM.
4. THE THAIS REFERRED TO THE SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMME OF REPATRIATION TO
LAOS. THIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED VIA TRANSIT CAMPS IN LAOS. THEY
SUGGESTED THAT SIMILIAR FACILITIES SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED IN VIETNAM
AT THE MAIN POINTS OF DEPARTURE. THEY ALSO SUGGESTED A SPECIFIC TIME SCALE OF THREE YEARS FOR THE RETURN TO VIETNAM OF ALL NON-REFUGEES IN KEEPING WITH THE TIME FRAME ESTABLISHED FOR THE RESETTLEMENT ELEMENT OF THE CPA.
5. THE VIETNAMESE RE-STATED THEIR WILLINGNESS TO RECEIVE ALL WHO WISHED TO RETURN. THEY AGREED WITH ALL PROVISIONS OF THE CPA.
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