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7.
The Secretary of State said that in his view the US refusal to acquiesce to mandatory repatriation was illogical and an unfortunate relic of the Vietnam war. He gave an account of recent exchanges with the Americans on the issue, and said that he had now sent a message to the Vietnamese proposing the establishment of an internationally managed centre (IMC) to which non-refugees would be
If the IMC proposal could be returned whether they liked it or not.
But it would
made to work it was the best way to implement the CPA. take time to set up an IMC: it might prove necessary to examine other measures, similar to the December 1989 repatriation flight, to ease the pressure on Hong Kong.
8.
the
had
There
Mrs Fan commented that in the joint press release issued after the US/UK talks, Americans, agreed only to UK/Vietnamese talks. was no US commitment not to object to the transfer of non-refugees to an IMC. If this was not forthcoming the whole idea would fail. The Secretary of State replied that the Americans realised that Hong Kong had been treated badly. He thought that they would acquiese to
The Administration was, transfers if all their concerns were met.
It would be too however, sensitive to feelings within Congress. much to expect the Americans to announce a complete change in their policy. But the US willingness to consider such a proposal was a step forward.
9.
Mrs Fan said that the people of Hong Kong needed reassurance that HMG was committed to solving the Vietnamese migrant problem. If they had to wait for the IMC proposal to work, the delegation
wanted:
(a) a clear statement from the Secretary of State in the House of
IMC proposal, the US would not Commons that if Vietnam agreed to the object to it; and
(b) a guarantee that the Prime Minister was prepared to raise the matter again with President Bush.
10.
The Secretary of State offered to give the delegation a letter
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