COZAIR(3)
ALL ON SECRETARY OF STATE BY SENATOR EVANS, AUSTRALIAN MINISTER OF
FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE: 13 MARCH 1989
BACKGROUND
Vietnamese Boat People
AUSTRALIAN ATTITUDES
The Australian Government support our screening/repatriation policy and have been very helpful on resettlement.
1.
2. Lord Glenarthur thanked Senator Evans in Canberra on 23 February
for the Australian decision to double from 350 to 700 their offtake
of Vietnamese refugees from Hong Kong. The Australians have also said that, if a regional policy of screening and repatriation can be put in place, they would be prepared to play their part fully in dealing with the residue at the International Conference. They have contributed A$100,000 towards the UNHCR programme to assist the voluntary return of boat people to Vietnam.
3.
Australian offtake of boat people from Hong Kong in recent years
has been:
1985
1986
1987
1988
557
459
501
364
and 6,402 in total since 1975.
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE/PREPCON
4. An International Conference on Indo-Chinese refugees in South East Asia is planned to take place in Geneva on 13-14 June. At the Kuala Lumpur PrepCon on 7-9 March agreement was reached on the text of a Comprehensive Plan of Action to form the focus of discussions
in Geneva. It covers:
a) The introduction of region-wide screening policy