CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 031130Z FCO
TELNO 1397
OF 031015Z MAY 89
CONFIDENTIAL
MKD 24319
(193
032350 MDHIAN 3085
TOP COPY
MST ?
INFO IMMEDIATE WASHINGTON, UKMIS NEW YORK, HANOI, PEKING INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA
INFO PRIORITY KUALA LUMPUR, CANBERRA, OTTAWA, PARIS, MOSCOW INFO PRIORITY UKREP BRUSSELS, MANILA, JAKARTA, BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
MIPT (NOT TO ALL):
WASHINGTON TELNO 1213: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE : INTER-GOVERNMENTAL CONSULTATIVE GROUP: RESETTLEMENT
1. IT IS ENCOURAGING TO SEE THE AMERICANS MAKING SUCH AN EFFORT TO
GET COMMITMENTS ON RESETTLEMENT. BUT THERE IS A DANGER IN THE WAY
THEY ARE PROCEEDING WHICH NEEDS TO BE FLAGGED.
2. A CLEAR PROGRAMME FOR THE RESETTLEMENT OF REFUGEES OVER A DEFINED PERIOD IS A KEY ELEMENT FOR A SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME TO GENEVA. BUT,
IF
THIS IS ACHIEVED WITHOUT A CLEAR MESSAGE ON REPATRIATION FOR THOSE SCREENED OUT, THE MESSAGE TO VIETNAM WILL BE EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO ACHIEVE. THE PULL FACTOR WILL PRODUCE MORE, NOT LESS, BOAT PEOPLE TRYING TO LEAVE VIETNAM. I HOPE THIS MESSAGE CAN BE IMPRESSED ON THE AMERICANS. IT IS CERTAINLY THE STRONG BELIEF
OF THE US CONSUL-GENERAL HERE. HE IS REPORTING TO WASHINGTON IN THAT SENSE.
3 I AM ALSO CONCERNED BY THE AMERICAN APPROACH TO THE IDEA OF A
REGIONAL HOLDING CENTRE AS REPORTED IN TUR. THE SURGE OF ARRIVALS HERE REPORTED IN RECENT TURS (NOT TO ALL), AMOUNTING TO SOME 1200 DURING THE LAST WEEK WITH UP TO 500 MORE EXPECTED TODAY, DOES NOT
ALLOW SUCH A LEISURELY APPROACH.
4. IT IS WORTH NOTING THAT THE IMMEDIATE USE HONG KONG COULD MAKE OF
A REGIONAL HOLDING CENTRE IS LIMITED. ALTHOUGH WE HAVE MORE BOAT PEOPLE THAN ANYWHERE ELSE SUBJECT TO SCREENING (15,000), ONLY 1,200 HAVE SO FAR BEEN SCREENED OUT AND NO/NO APPEAL HAS YET BEEN THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS. THIS IS DUE TO OUR ELABORATELY CAREFUL PROCESSING WHICH IS INDEED FAR TOO SLOW. NEVERTHELESS, EVEN THOUGH WE COULD ONLY EXPECT TO MAKE LIMITED USE OF A HOLDING CENTRE IN THE FIRST TWO OR THREE MONTHS, HAVING ONE THERE FOR FUTURE USE WOULD MAKE A FUNDAMENT-
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