CONFIDENTIAL
Repatriation
6. We believe that in due course all except genuine refugees must go back, once satisfactory arrangements for this have been made in
consultation with the Vietnamese authorities. Those screened out as
non-refugees have no prospect of resettlement. Their future lies in
Vietnam. The Vietnamese have agreed that comprehensive settlement
is needed to cover all non refugees, but so far have only agreed to
accept back those who ask to return. The Governor of Hong Kong is reported as saying in Hong Kong recently that we should go ahead
with all parts of our policy, including the mandatory return of all who are not refugees. He clarified his position on 22 February in London, when he said that involuntary repatriation would require
both the agreement of the Vietnamese Government and arrangements in
place which would assure us that returnees would not be badly
treated. He added that we are not at that stage yet.
It
7. A first batch of about 80 volunteers will go back to Vietnam on 2 March under a UNHCR repatriation programme. The programme
includes provisions for UNHCR monitoring of those who return.
also includes Vietnamese assurances that they will not be punished
or persecuted. We have contributed US$125,000 to UNHCR's financial
assitance programme to help those who return to re-establish
themselves. Our efforts at this stage are concentrated on achieving
the success of the voluntary return programme.
International Conference on Indo-Chinese Refugees
8. The proposals by the ASEAN countries to convene
international conference on the general problem of boat people and
Indo-Chinese refugees in South East Asia are beginning to take
shape. The conference is likely to be held in Geneva on 13/14 June,
although these are still provisional dates. HMG will attend. A 2-3 day PrepCon will be held in Kuala Lumpur in early March. A draft
comprehensive plan of action to deal with the problem has already
been drawn up by an international drafting group and will be
discussed further at the PrepCon. It will cover: