CONFIDENTIAL
21
124705 MDHIAN 5983
HKCB
2+3/15
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 1050
OF 270445Z MARCH 90
INFO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA, HANOI
(20)
YOUR TELNO 656: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: UNACCOMPANIED MINORS
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH ARTICLE IS A BIT WIDE OF THE MARK IN SOME RESPECTS BUT ON THE ESSENTIAL POINT IT IS CORRECT. VAN LEEUWEN HAS ISSUED A PRESS STATEMENT (COPY BY FAX) IN WHICH HE STATES THAT UNHCR IS NOT PREPARED TO RETURN CHILDREN TO THE PARENTS IN VIETNAM UNLESS THEY VOLUNTEER FOR REPATRIATION. THIS IS OF COURSE UNACCEPTABLE TO US AND IT IS A POINT WE WILL BE TAKING UP WITH VIEIRA DE MELLO LATER TODAY (27 MARCH).
2.
THE ASSESSMENT COMMITTEE WAS ESTABLISHED ABOUT A MONTH AGO AND THE FIRST CASES ARE NOW UNDER CONSIDERATION. THE ARGUMENTS FOR A SPECIAL COMMITTEE AT THE ICIR WERE THAT CHILDREN ARE NOT ABLE TO COPE WITH THE STANDARD SCREENING ARRANGEMENTS AND THAT THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT WHERE THEIR BEST INTERESTS LIE. IT WOULD BE INCONSISTENT, THEREFORE, TO MAKE DECISIONS ON THE APPROPRIATE DURABLE SOLUTION ON BEHALF OF THESE CHILDREN BUT THEN GIVE THEM A CHOICE ON WHETHER THEY RETURN TO THEIR PARENTS.
3
WE HAVE ASKED UNHCR TO RETURN THE CHILDREN ON THEIR VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION FLIGHTS, PERHAPS IN THE COMPANY OF A SOCIAL WORKER. IT HAS BEEN CLEAR FOR SOME TIME THAT THE LOCAL UNHCR OFFICE FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THIS ARRANGEMENT. NONETHELESS, WE CAN SEE NO OTHER WAY OF MAKING THE SCHEME WORK AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT A SIMILAR ARRANGEMENT OPERATES IN THE CASE OF THE THAILAND REPATRIATION PROGRAMME.
WILSON
LAOS
YYYY
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