CONFIDENTIAL
CBS 220
GFIDENTIAL
Fi! FCO 16195OZ FEB 79
TO IMMEDIATE WASHINGTON
TELNO 348 OF 16 FEBRUARY
390
HKK 243/1
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AND TO OTTAWA, CANBERRA, BONN, PARIS.
INFO PRIORITY JAKARTA, UKMIS GENEVA 19.2. Czę
∙212
UKMIS GENEVA TELNO 27 AND MY TELNO 31 TO JAKARTA: PROPOSAL FOR AND ISLAND PROCESSING CENTRE FOR VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.
1. WHILE WE ARE STILL EXAMINING THIS PROPOSAL IT WOULD BE USEFUL TO KNOW HOW OTHER GOVERNMENTS WHO HAVE RECEIVED COPIES OF THE UNHCR PAPER (PARAGRAPH 10 OF FIRST TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE) VIEW IT. PLEASE SEEK THEIR COMMENTS AS SOON AS YOU CAN.
2. YOU MAY SAY THAT WE DO NOT WISH TO APPEAR NEGATIVE IN OUR RESPONSE TO THE UNHCR'S REQUEST FOR COMMENTS ON THIS IDEA, PARTICULARLY SINCE IT ORIGINATED WITH THE MALAYSIANS AND HAS THE SUPPORT OF ASEAN COUNTRIES. BUT WE SEE SERIOUS DIFFICULTIES IN THE PROPOSAL, FOR EXAMPLE, IF REFUGEES ARE NOT TO LANGUISH FOR YEARS ON AN ISLAND, THERE WILL BE A NEED FOR FIRM FINAL RESETTLEMENT GUARANTEES IN ADVANCE OF REFUGEES ARRIVING THERE: ON THE OTHER HAND, WE DO NOT BELIEVE IT IS REALISTIC TO EXPECT THIRD COUNTRIES TO OFFER BLANKET GUARANTEES FOR THE UNKNOWN NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO MIGHT ARRIVE ON THE ISLAND. WE SEE NO PROSPECT OF THE UK'S PROVIDING GUARANTEES OF THIS NATURE.
3. PLEASE REPORT BY TELEGRAM.
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