CONFIDENTIAL
178
174615
MDHIAN 1560
CONFIDENTIAL
FM UKMIS GENEVA
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 210
OF 20163OZ APRIL
HKD 24319
་ཀསྐ
TOP COPY
Q DIST ?
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, BANGKOK, KUALA LUMPUR, MANILA, JAKARTA INFO IMMEDIATE SINGAPORE, BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
151 845
YOUR TELNO 845 TO HONG KONG: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: REGIONAL HOLDING CENTRE (RHC)
1. THERE HAS BEEN CONSIDERABLE TALK IN THE MARGINS OF THE COORDINATING COMMITTEE ABOUT A REGIONAL HOLDING CENTRE, AS WELL AS IN THE MEETING ITSELF, BUT THE IDEA IS STILL VERY MUCH IN EMBRYO. THE CONTINUING HIGH FLOW OF ARRIVALS, COMBINED WITH THAI AND MALAYSIAN FEARS THAT THEY WILL BE LANDED WITH A LARGE NUMBER OF SCREENED-OUT FOR AN INDEFINITE PERIOD (UNLESS AND UNTIL VIETNAM LIFTS ITS RESERVE ON MANDATORY REPATRIATION) IS LIKELY TO KEEP THE IDEA ALIVE.
2. KASIT (THAILAND) HAS TOLD US THAT THE EARLIER IDEA OF A UNHCR-RUN REGIONAL HOLDING CENTRE WHERE SCREENING MIGHT TAKE PLACE HAS BEEN DROPPED IN FAVOUR OF A HOLDING CENTRE FOR THE SCREENED OUT. THE THAIS HAVE ALREADY HAD PRELIMINARY DISCUSSIONS WITH ICM ABOUT SUCH A CENTRE. ICM HAVE CONFIRMED TO US THAT THEY ARE INTERESTED AND READY TO HELP, SUBJECT TO SATISFACTORY ANSWERS TO THE DIFFICULT ISSUES OF LOCATION AND FINANCING. THEY DO NOT, HOWEVER, HAVE A HUMANITARIAN MANDATE AND MONITORING OF CONDITIONS FOR RETURNEES IN VIETNAM WOULD HAVE TO BE CARRIED OUT BY UNHCR, IN ITS PROTECTION ROLE, AS LONG AS THIS MONITORING WAS POLITICALLY NECESSARY. THE PHILIPPINE REPRESENTATIVE AT THE COORDINATING COMMITTEE HAS TOLD US THAT THE BATAAN CAMP MIGHT BE AVAILABLE AS A TEMPORARY REPEAT TEMPORARY HOLDING CENTRE. BUT HE IS UNDER INSTRUCTIONS TO GO NO FURTHER AND NOT TO MAKE A TANGIBLE OFFER WITHOUT REFERENCE TO HIGHER POLITICAL AUTHORITY.
3. UNHCR ARE AWARE OF THESE DEVELOPMENTS. VIEIRA DE MELLO COMMENTED THAT THE VBP INFLUX THIS YEAR WAS CLEARLY STRETCHING THAI AND MALAYSIAN PATIENCE TO BREAKING POINT. THE SUCCESS OF THE CPA DEPENDED ON APPLICATION OF ALL THE ELEMENTS, INCLUDING REPATRIATION, AND PROBABLY IN DUE COURSE MANDATORY REPATRIATION. UNHCR HAD NO PROBLEM WITH INVOLVEMENT IN REPATRIATING VOLUNTEERS. AS THEY HAD MADE CLEAR TO US IN KUALA LUMPUR (KUALA LUMPUR TELNO 156)
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