decision of principle on problems related to detention of refugees (ie a wider conclusion than on the 3 particular cases of alleged arbitrary detention in Hong Kong). He thought it "unlikely" that the Working Group would request a visit to Hong Kong to examine the detention of Vietnamese migrants further (but he confirmed that this possibility exists).
5. I thanked Bitter for this information and assured him of
If the our desire to cooperate with the Working Group. Working Group wished further information, or any clarification of the points in our response, we would be happy to try to provide it.
6. Bitter also took the opportunity to ask me more generally
I referred him about our policy on Vietnamese asylum seekers. to the background information in our response but otherwise assured him of our close cooperation with UNHCR in screening and repatriation procedures. Bitter asked whether we would have any objection to the Working Group speaking to UNHCR if its members felt this would be useful in consideration of the communication. I said I did not think we would have any objection and, after consultation with Edward Chaplin and David Campbell, have given the name of Werner Blatter (Head of Asia Bureau, UNHCR) to Bitter as the most appropriate contact (we would expect Blatter to be helpful to us in any discussion of this issue).
Comment
7.
My impression was that Bitter felt this was a fairly routine matter for the Working Group. But we know from remarks he has made in the past in the Human Rights Sub-Commission that the Working Group Chairman, Louis Joinet (France), has an interest in the problem of Vietnamese asylum seekers, and it is possible (although I would put it no more strongly than that) that he will seek to turn this into a significant aspect of the Working Group's activities, including through requesting a visit to Hong Hong. fact that the Working Group will not be considering the substance of this matter until May 1994 and thereafter preparing a report for the 1995 Commission on Human Rights is, I think, to our advantage. As time goes by so, hopefully, the problems over Vietnamese migrants will lessen.
But the
8. I shall of course keep in touch with Bitter and seek
But I would intend to information on progress in this matter. take a rather low-key approach lest avid interest dn our part spur the Working Group into treating this matter other than as a fairly routine communication which it should deal with in a fairly routine fashion (without a visit). But if the Working Group indicates that it would like to discuss the issues raised in the communication or in our response further we