TNAG-1276-FCO40-1626-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 167

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SAVING TELEGRAM

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SAVING FCO TELNO

18-

OF 12 AUGUST 1983

INDEX

PA

tuss

REGISTE

Action Taken

HONG KONG, OTTAWA, PARIS, TOKYO CANBERRA, UKMIS GENEVA

WASHINGTON

Mr. Hoare V. Inudilled us thinky. an international effent I called on Ambassador Douglas on 10 Aiah. Pl. consider

YOUR TELNO 1280: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES What is

1.

to say that we

regretted our inability to be represented at the Honolulu Conferende

at such short notice, but that we would welcome an account of the

proceedings, and an opportunity to attend future meetings. Douglas

did not concede that we had not been properly invited, but said that

on the contrary he hoped that HMG and other governments, particularly

France, would play a fuller part in future discussions on Indochinese

refugee problems. The Honolulu meeting had been a quote roaring

success unquote with an excellent personal rapport between the

participants (Axworthy from Canada, West from Australia and Nakajima

from Japan). He handed over copies of a letter from Hartling to

Douglas and his colleagues covering a paper which had served as a

basis for discussion, a set of US statistics, and a copy of the

(Copies by bag to SEAD, Geneva and Hong Kong).

statement.

press

2. Douglas said the participants had concluded that, despite the

political difficutlies, the major resettlement countries should

maintain their current high rates of resettlement over the next 18

to 24 months. (He subsequently said that the Administration's request

to Congress for FY84 would remain high, with higher ceilings for

Sough East Asia and Afghanistan, and slightly lower ones for Central

America and Europe. The Americans would also be working on the

Japanese to accept some refugees.) They had charged the UNHCR to

produce a thorough and tough prescription for the situation in South

East Asia, with a full range of options for dealing with the problem,

including voluntary repatriation, resettlement, and holding in

camps. Preparatory to this, the participants would each respond to

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