HKB 243/24
.ECEIVED IN REGISTRY
07 MAR 1990
་ ➢ ་ **
RESTRICTED
BESH INDEX
NEC STRY
MA
kan
©
154774 MDHIAN 7473
RESTRICTED
FM HANOI
TO DESKBY 19090OZ FCO
TELNO 98
OF 19023OZ FEBRUARY 90
AND TO DESKBY 19140OZ WASHINGTON
INFO IMMEDIATE BANGKOK, KUALA LUMPUR, MANILA, HONG KONG, UKMIS GENEVA INFO PRIORITY OTTAWA, TOKYO, CANBERRA, JAKARTA
INFO ROUTINE BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, SINGAPORE, ATHENS, BONN
INFO ROUTINE BRUSSELS EEC, BRUSSELS EMBASSY, COPENHAGEN, DUBLIN
INFO ROUTINE LISBON, LUXEMBOURG, MADRID, PARIS, ROME AND THE HAGUE
FROM COLVIN
EC-ASEAN MINISTERIAL MEETING: KUCHING: 16-17 FEBRUARY :
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE
SUMMARY
1. STRONG TEXT IN JOINT DECLARATION. REFERS TO ''INTOLERABLE BURDEN OF CONTINUING INFLUX OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE''. CALLS FOR EARLY IMPLEMENTATION OF CPA PROVISION ON REPATRIATION AND FOR THE DURATION OF THE MORATORIUM TO BE SETTLED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. PLUG FOR PHILIPPINES REGIONAL PROCESSING CENTRE FOR REFUGEES (PRPC).
DETAIL
2. SENIOR OFFICIALS WORKED ON AN ASEAN DRAFT WHICH INITIALLY MADE NO REFERENCE TO THE OUTCOME OF SC3(2). OUR PROPOSAL WAS QUICKLY ACCEPTED BY ALL COUNTIRES EXCEPT THE FRG. AFTER REPEATED CALLS TO BONN, THE GERMAN DELEGATION FINALLY AGREED TO FOLLOWING TEXT, SUBJECT TO MINISTERIAL APPROVAL:
''THEY (EC/ASEAN MINISTERS) WELCOMED THE FACT THAT ON 23-24 JANUARY 1990 THE STEERING COMMITTEE SET UP UNDER THE CPA REACHED AGREEMENT ON MODALITIES FOR THE RETURN OF ALL NON-REFUGEES TO THEIR COUNTRY OF ORIGIN AND CALLED UPON THE PARTIES DIRECTLY CONCERNED TO SETTLE, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, THE OUTSTANDING ISSUE, NAMELY THE DATE PRIOR TO WHICH VOLUNTARY RETURN ALONE SHOULD TAKE PLACE''.
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