XN000022-1988-04-19 — Page 20

TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 1988

TO

THE

ANOTHER SIDE OF THE PROBLEM. THE PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING NOW, UNLIKE IN 1979 WHEN THE PROBLEM FIRST STARTED, ARE ALMOST ALL OF

THEM ETHNIC VIETNAMESE FROM NORTH VIETNAM. THE REASONS FOR MOVING SEEM BE ESSENTIALLY ECONOMIC RATHER THAN POLITICAL. OTHER PART OF BACKGROUND, WHEN WE FIRST OF ALL STARTED ACCEPTING LARGE NUMBERS OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN 1979, THAT WAS PART OF AN INTERNATIONAL UNDERSTANDING THAT PLACES IN THIS ARBA WOULD ACT AS A PLACE OF ASYLUM. OTHER COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD, RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES, RESETTLE PEOPLE FROM HERE. WHAT WE'RK FINDING NOW IS THAT, HORRIFYING PHRASE 'COMPASSION FATIGUE' IS ALL TOO TRUE, AND WHEREAS WR HAVE A CONTINUING FLOW OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES COMING THE RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES ARE NOT PREPARED TO TAKE SO MANY.

FIRST

WOULD

THAT

THAT

HBRE,

THAT

NOW.

THE OPTIONS FOR US ARE, FIRST OF ALL, TO TRY TO MAKE BURE RESETTLEMENT CONTINUES TO DEAL WITH THE PEOPLE WE'VE GOT HERE SECONDLY, TO TRY TO FIND A LONG TERM SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM. TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE EITHER NOT LEAVING VIETNAM OR IF THEY'RE ESSENTIALLY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS TRAVELLING FOR ECONOMIC REASONS THAT THEY CAN BE RETURNED, AND I WOULD SAY THAT THE GOVERNMENT OF VIETNAM BEARS A VERY HEAVY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE APPALLING SITUATION IN WHICH THOUSANDS OF PROPLE CONTINUE TO RISK THEIR LIVES AT SEA TO GET AWAY FROM VIETNAM.

NOW IF WE CANNOT FIND CONTINUING RESETTLEMENT, IF WE CANNOT IN THE SHORT TERM FIND A WAY OF SENDING PEOPLE BACK, THEN WE FACE A LOT OF VERY DIFFICULT PROBLEMS. DO WE CONTINUE OUR POLICY OF FIRST ASYLUM? IF NOT, WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVES? WE WOULDN'T WISH, I'M SURE AS A COMMUNITY, TO WANT TO DO ANYTHING WHICH WOULD PUT PEOPLE'S LIVES AT RISK WHEN THEY'VE ALREADY PUT THEIR LIVES AT RISK CROSSING THE SEA. SO YOU CANNOT SEE PEOPLE JUST SINKING THEIR BOATS IN FRONT OF HONG KONG AND WATCH THEM DROWN. THAT IS NOT A VIABLE OPTION, IF, ON THE OTHER HAND, YOU LAND PEOPLE BUT YOU SAY THEY WON'T BE RESETTLED, YOU HAVE A PRACTICAL PROBLEM THAT YOU'VE GOT ΤΟ LOOK AFTER THOSE PEOPLE MEANWHILE, THOSE ARE THE PROBLEMS. THERE ARE NO EASY ANSWERS TO THEM.

THE GOVERNMENT IS LOOKING AT THESE VARIOUS OPTIONS AGAINST THE BACKGROUND THAT I'VE TRIED TO SKETCH OUT, BUT WE HAVE NOT AT THE MOMENT COME TO POLICY DECISIONS. WE ARE ALSO TRYING TO KEEP IN TOUCH WITH COUNTRIES IN THIS AREA WHICH FACE SIMILAR PROBLEMS.

/STUART PALLISTER,

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