TNAG-1276-FCO40-1626-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 168

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the UNHCR's letter prior to the latter's departure for South East Asia and Japan at the end of August. Douglas himself planned to come

to London in early October, before the EXCOM in Geneva, at which there

would be contact with the Vietnamese. (Purcell will attend the latter

for the US.) The UNHCR would then produce his report in time for

a further meeting of the resettlement countries which would take place,

probably in Tokyo, next December or January. He hoped very much

that we and the French would attend.

3. Douglas said that the Honolulu meeting devoted much discussion to

voluntary repatriation as an element which wouldhave to play a larger

role in the future. In recent years, the concept of repatriation

had become morally tainted, but it was necessary to rehabilitate

it as an implement suitable for use in certain circumstances. It could

be applicable not only in South East Asia but also in Pakistan, possibly

East Africa and elsewhere. The US could not commit itself to repatriation

without stringent guarantees to ensure the monitoring of conditions

of repatriants. But neither, politically speaking, could the US

participate indefinitely in a resettlement programme unless it could

show American public opinion that other ways of solving the problem

were being fully utilised. A voluntary repatriation programme

would also need to be accompanied by a major international programme

of aid for the repatriated communities, and in the case of Indochina

this could only be managed via the UNHCR because of the political

considerations for governments in dealing directly with Vietnamese-

It would take time to gain acceptance of

occupied Cambodia.

these ideas, and work out the necessary agreements. The current

programme for Laos could provide useful precedents and experience. 4. Turning to Hong Kong, Douglas repeated that he thought a more

forthcoming attitude from HMG towards resettlement and any major

international effort on repatriation would be the key to alleviating

Hong Kong's problems, including, he hinted, by some eventual

relaxation of US criteria. He thought that ways could be found of

tailoring further resettlement into the United Kingdom so as to be

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