TNAG-1275-FCO40-1625-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 121

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FM LIMA 21192OZ APR 83

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2 SAPR 1983

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INFO ROUTINE FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 01 OF 21 APRIL

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DESK OFFICER..

INDEX

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YOUR TELNO 01 TO ASUNCION: POSSIBLE RESETTLEMENT OF VIETNAMESE

REFUGEES IN SOUTH AMERICA

1. THE PERUVIAN GOVERNMENT IS MAKING A BIG EFFORT TO COLONISE AND

OPEN UP FOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION VAST AREAS OF JUNGLE IN THE EAST

OF THE COUNTRY. IF THEY HAD THE RIGHT SKILLS AND COULD ADAPT TO THE HARSH CLINATE, VIETNAMESE WOULD THEORETICALLY BE ABLE TO SETTLE IN THESE AREAS. BUT OVER 10 PERCENT OF THE WORKING POPULATION OF PERU

IS CURRENTLY UNEMPLOYED AND NEARLY 50 PERCENT ARE OFFICIALLY UNDER-

EMPLOYED.

2. THE COUNTRY IS COPING WITH DAUNTING ECONOMIC PROBLEMS INVOLVING

SEVERE SPENDING CUTS. PERU IS ALSO SUFFERING SIMULTANEOUSLY FROM

DROUGHT IN THE SOUTH AND FLOODS IN THE NORTH WHICH ARE STRETCHING

ADMINISTRATIVE CAPABILITY TO THE LIMIT. THE ECONOMICS MINISTER

RECENTLY SAID THAT 1983 WOULD BE THE WORST YEAR FOR PERU IN THIS

CENTURY.

3. NEITHER JOBS NOR PERMANENT ACCOMMODATION HAVE BEEN FOUND FOR 200

CUDAN REFUGEES WHO ARRIVED OVER TWO YEARS AGO. UNLESS THEREFOPE THE

VIETNAMESE WERE ALLOWED TO SETTLE IN THE JUNGLE AND ALL THE SETTLE-

MENTCOSTS MET FROM EXTERNAL SOURCES, I DO NOT THINK THAT THE

PERUVIANS WOULD RESPOND FAVOURABLY TO A VISIT BY STUMPF. THE CUBAN

EXPERIENCE HAS DEMONSTRATED THAT THE PERUVIAN ADMINISTRATIVE MACHINE

CANNOT COPE SATISFACTORILY WITH EVEN A HANDFUL OF REFUGEES. THEY

WOULD CERTAINLY NOT BE ABLE TO TEACH VIETNAMESE TO ADAPT TO FERUVIAN

CONDITIONS.

4. WE HAVE NO TRACE OF THE 1901 PAPERS REFERRED TO IN PARA 3 OF TUR.

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