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24315. 103115
MDHOAN 8509
HKB
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FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 949
OF 10023OZ MAY 90
AND TO IMMEDIATE PEKING, HANOI
INFO IMMEDIATE WASHINGTON, MANILA, CANBERRA, UKMIS GENEVA INFO IMMEDIATE UKREP JLG HONG KONG
PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM BURNS,
s Hatched
AUSS
arratched
YOUR TELNO 1461 AND PEKING TELNO 706 : VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE : MANDATORY REPATRIATION
1. WE HAVE BEEN CONSIDERING HOW BEST TO TACKLE THE PROBLEM OF MANDATORY REPATRIATION. WE BROADLY AGREE WITH YOUR FALLBACK POSITION (IE, SAYING SNAP TO 1 OCTOBER 1990 OR 1 JANUARY 1991, WITH THE EMERGENCY PROVISO) BUT WE BELIEVE THAT THIS SHOULD BE FOR THE NEXT FULL MEETING OF THE STEERING COMMITTEE (SC4). THE AUSTRALIANS ARE LOBBYING FOR SC4 TO BE HELD IN GENEVA IN JUNE, WELL BEFORE THE 1 JULY DEADLINE FOR ENDING THE MORATORIUM WHICH WE ACCEPTED AT SC3 IN JANUARY. WE SUPPORT THIS, AND SUGGEST THAT THE REGIONAL MEETING MIGHT PROVIDE THE FORUM FOR ADVANCE LOBBYING, WHICH CAN THEN BE FOLLOWED UP IN CAPITALS BEFORE SC4. 2. IN VIEW HOWEVER OF THE AMBASSADOR'S CALL ON CHEN ZIYING, REPORTED IN SECOND TUR, WE HAVE BEEN CONSIDERING ANOTHER POSSIBLE COURSE OF ACTION ON WHICH WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR VIEWS AND THOSE OF PEKING AND HANOI.
3. THE PRINCIPAL OBSTACLE AT THE MOMENT IS NOT SO MUCH THE US ATTITUDE AS VIETNAMESE STONEWALLING ON THE POSSIBLE USE OF FORCE (THOUGH THE TWO ARE OF COURSE LINKED). THIS IS AN ISSUE WHICH DOES NOT APPEAR TO ARISE BETWEEN THE VIETNAMESE AND THE CHINESE WHEN PEOPLE ARE REPATRIATED ACROSS THE LAND BORDER. SINCE THE CHINESE HAVE EXPLICITLY OFFERED US THEIR SUPPORT OVER MANDATORY REPATRIATION, WE MIGHT PUT TO THEM A SPECIFIC PROPOSAL FOR RETURNING THE SCREENED-OUT TO VIETNAM THROUGH CHINA.
4. WE KNOW THAT THE CHINESE ARE OPPOSED TO THE POLICY OF FIRST
SO ASYLUM, DESPITE THEIR ENDORSEMENT OF THE CPA LAST JUNE. THEIR IMMEDIATE REACTION TO ANY PROPOSAL FOR CO-OPERATION IS
WE LIKELY TO BE THAT WE SHOULD FIRST ABANDON FIRST ASYLUM. SHOULD NEED THEREFORE TO EXPLAIN TO THEM BOTH THE PRACTICAL DIFFICULTIES OF DOING SO (INCLUDING THE LIKELIHOOD THAT ARRIVALS WOULD SIMPLY SINK THEIR BOATS AND NEED TO BE RESCUED) AND THE
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