CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 569
OF 14113OZ FEBRUARY 90
CONFIDENTIAL
144635
MDHIAN 7024
HKB
RECEIVED IN
243 124
1 MAR 1990
DESK
DEX
TOP COPY Ɑ PIST
INFO IMMEDIATE HANOI, UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON
INFO IMMEDIATE KUALA LUMPUR
CORRECTED VERSION PARA (D) LAST LINE AND PARA (C) KUALA LUMPUR FOR MR MAUDES PARTY
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: NEW INITIATIVES
·
1 THE MAIN THEMES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR VBP POLICY OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS ARE FIRMLY ESTABLISHED: THE REGIONAL APPROACH TO BUILD ON THE SC3 ''CONSENSUS'', BILATERAL DISCUSSIONS WITH THE VIETNAMESE, PRESSURE ON THE US AND PREPARATIONS HERE TO COPE WITH NEW ARRIVALS. WE HAVE ALSO BEEN GIVING SOME THOUGHT TO THE OPTIONS AVAILABLE FOR NEW INITIATIVES LATER IN THE YEAR IF OUR CURRENT EFFORTS STALL AND IF WE ARE IN DANGER OF BEING OVERWHELMED BY NEW ARRIVALS. THE FOLLOWING IS ESSENTIALLY A RESTATEMENT OF IDEAS BUT THERE IS SOMETHING TO BE SAID FOR RE-EVALUATING THEM WHILE WE HAVE TIME NOW RATHER THAN IN HASTE LATER:
(A) RECONVENING THE ICIR.
ALTHOUGH WE HAVE THE OPTION OF CALLING AN EMERGENCY SESSION OF THE STEERING COMMITTEE IN THE FACE OF A CRISIS WE ARE NOT SURE THAT THIS WOULD BE AN ADEQUATE OR EFFECTIVE RESPONSE. THE CPA ENDORSED BY THE ICIR IN JUNE 1989 HAS NOT BEEN IMPLEMENTED IN FULL AND IF WE ARE UNDER PRESSURE LATER IN THE YEAR A CALL TO RECONVENE THE ICIR ITSELF WOULD BE AN OBVIOUS RESPONSE. OUR OBJECTIVES AT SUCH A CONFERENCE WOULD BE IMMEDIATE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE REPATRIATION PROGRAMME AND PRACTICAL ASSISTANCE TO MANAGE A DETERIORATING SITUATION HERE.
(B) A GENERAL CALL FOR INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE.
WE MIGHT ALSO CONSIDER AN APPEAL TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY. THIS MIGHT TAKE THE FORM OF A REQUEST FOR FUNDS TO COVER THE COST OF NEW CAMPS, HOLDING CENTRES IN THE REGION, ASSISTANCE WITH SPECIALISED PERSONNEL I.E. MEDICAL TEAMS. IN FRAMING SUCH AN APPEAL WE MIGHT DRAW ON THE LIST OF REQUESTS WE RECENTLY PUT TO THE AMERICANS.
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