CONFIDENTIAL
6 Para 8. Line 12
2
Suggest substitution of "lived under" for "accepted".
7 Para 9
✓ Para 9 (b), penultimate line. Delete word "male".
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At the end of para 9 (d), I suggest you refer also to the submissions to SCORRI by the US Embassy and the Australian High Commission.
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Para 14
Suggest following re-wording: "Option 13a might be effective as deterrent, although boat people continue to arrive in first asylum countries which have in the past towed refugees back out to sea."
9 Para 15
Second sentence - It is not clear why the implementation of an involuntary repatriation programme would allow the Hong Kong Government to open up the closed camps.
10 Para 15(a)
I suggest we mention here the physical difficulty of repatriation to Vietnam ie the lack of land border etc.
11 Para 16(a)
Suggest following wording: "Our relations with Vietnam are not good. Vietnam, more than ever dependant on the Soviet Union, maintains an occupying force in Cambodia and a garrison in Laos. There is evidence of continuing human rights abuses in Vietnam. Since 1979 we have given no UK aid to Vietnam and have opposed the resumption of EC aid. We have spoken out against Vietnam's Cambodia policy and human rights abuses. Hanoi has no reason to do us a favour."
Para 18
12
"If we wished now to approach the Hanoi Government about Hong Kong's proposals we should therefore reckon without UNHCR assistance. Moreover it is questionable whether a bilateral initiative by Britain with Vietnam is worth the risk of adverse political reactions at home and abroad, particularly given that it is very unlikely the Vietnamese would agree to co-operate."
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13 Para 23(b)
We do not have figures for local absorption in South East Asia. For obvious reasons (pull factor etc), Thailand and the other countries involved are loathe to publicise the fact that they have
Xabsorbed any refugees. Suggest redraft of third sentence: "other
South East Asian countries, particularly Thailand, have, no doubt reluctantly, taken some." You may add: "Thailand has ruled out the possibility of absorbing any more."
14 Para 23B (d) (ii): Training Schemes
I suppose there is no possibility of an arrangement whereby recipient countries undertook to take specified refugees subject to their reaching an accepted level of training in particular skills and that on this basis, the refugees in question could be transferred to the Philippines (Bataan RPC) for this training under UNHCR auspices. There would need to be an agreement covering 'failures'. Such a scheme would relieve some of the pressure on Hong Kong (albeit perhaps at the cost of a contribution towards the training costs).
CONFIDENTIAL
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T.L to
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UK mis
Geneva?
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