TNAG-1539-FCO40-2103-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-ex-China-cases-1986 — Page 5

Page

M

ZCZC

HPLNCN 7440 SMHP N 8521 MGSMAN 2823

RESTRICTED

TT HOKON

TT FCOLN

TT GYMIS

FM MANIL TO HOKON

16023OZ JUL

GRS 690

RESTRICTED

FM MANILA

TO TELELETTER HONG KONG

TELELETTER REF 243/1

OF 16023OZ JULY 86

FROM N A THORNE, MANILA

FOLLOWING FOR K WOODHOUSE, HONG KONG COPIED TO

HKK 243

O

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

2 1 JUL 1986

WH

REGISTRY Action Takeo

IND

C LEEKS ESQ, HONG KONG DEPT, FCO UKMIS GENEVA

UNHCR: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES

1. AS YOU MAY HAVE ALREADY LEARNED FROM YOUR UNHCR COLLEAGUE, BEYER HELD ANOTHER OF HIS 'RESETTLEMENT COORDINATION' MEETINGS ON 9 JULY.

I ATTENDED REALLY ONLY TO PROTECT YOUR INTERESTS OVER THE EX CHINA QUESTION. THE MEETING WAS FOLLOWED BY A FAREWELL LUNCH FOR BEYER WHO HAS RESIGNED FROM UNHCR AND IS LEAVING THE PHILIPPINES ON

18 JULY.

EX CHINA

2. BEYER REHEARSED HIS STANDARD LINE ON THE EX CHINA CASES. THERE HAD BEEN NO MOVEMENT ON THE PHILIPPINE SIDE. THE BALL WAS IN THEIR

COURT. OF THE 25 CASES IN THE PALAWAN ÇAMP FOR WHOM UNHCR HAD ACCEPTED RESPONSIBILITY, 20 HAD BEEN SENT VOLUNTARILY BACK TO THE PRC ON 1 JULY. THIS HAD BEEN A ONE-OFF EXERCISE WHICH UNHCR WOOULD

NOT REPEAT.

IRANIANS

3. BEYER REPORTED THAT HE HAD FINALLY MANAGED TO REMOVE THE 4/5

IRANIANS SEEKING REFUGEE STATUS WHO HAD BEEN CAMPED AT HIS OFFICE. OTHER RESIDENTS HAD COMPLAINED AND THEY HAD BEEN ARRESTED. (AFTER ONE OF THEM HAD PUNCHED BEYER RATHER HARD.} THESE IRANIANS WERE

ANOTHER PROBLEM FOR THE FILIPINOS.

CAP ANAMUR - MERCY SHIP

4.

BEYER REPORTED THAT THE CAP ANAMUR HAD SET SAIL FOR A THIRD TIME.

SHE HAD ALREADY COLLECTED A FURTHER 220 REFUGEES. OF THOSE ALREADY LANDED IN PALAWAN, 140 CASES HAD BEEN SUBMITTED TO THE FRG (GUARANTEE OF 200), BUT ONLY NINE HAD SHOWN THEMSELVES WILLING TO GO TO FRANCE (GUARANTEE OF 300). NONE WANTED TO GO TO BELGIUM WHICH HAD

GUARANTEED. 30,

OTHERS AROUND THE TABLE (US, AUSTRALIA AND CANADA) ALL TRIED TO PRESSURE THE FRENCH REPRESENTATIVE TO TAKE MORE (AND THERE WAS MUCH

DEBATE ABOUT 'SWAP ARRANGEMENTS TO FILL THE QUOTA WITH OTHER REFUGE 4 REFUGEES WHO MIGHT WANT TO GO TO FRANCE), BUT HE MADE IT CLEAR THAT T THERE COULD BE NO QUESTION OF FORCING CAP ANAMUR REFUGEES TO ACCEPT

RESETTLEMENT IN FRANCE. SO FAR MOST OF THE REFUGEES LANDED BY THE

CAP ANAMUR CLAIM LINKS WITH THE US AND AUSTRALIA (DETAILS BY BAG).

THE AUSTRALIAN ANNOUNCED WITH DUE SOLEMNITY THAT IT HAD BEEN DECIDED

AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL THAT AUSTRALIA WOULD NOT EVEN CONSIDER PROCES-

SING ANY MORE REFUGEES 'ENCOURAGED' BY THE CAP ANAMUR.

6. BEYER NOTED THE AUSTRALIAN STANCE AND THEN SUGGESTED THAT HE BE

SUPPORTED BY ALL THOSE PRESENT IN A DEMARCHE TO THE FILIPINOS TO

EXPLAIN TO THEM THE LONG-TERM PROBLEM THAT COULD ARISE FOR THE

PHILIPPINES IF REFUGEES REFUSED TO ACCEPT THE PLACES OFFERED BY

GUARANTOR COUNTRIES. ANOTHER PROBLEM FOR THE FILIPINOS.

7. WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE (SENSIBLE) AMERICAN, I INTERVENED ON A

PERSONAL BASIS AT THIS STAGE TO POINT OUT THAT PUTTING THE FILIPINOS ON THE SPOT IN THIS WAY COULD WELL PROVE TO BE COUNTER PRODUCTIVE, AND MIGHT HAVE RAMIFICATIONS WITHIN THE REGION WHICH WE IN MANILA WERE NOT COMPETENT TO JUDGE. I SUGGESTED THAT ALL THE ABOVE ISSUES SHOULD FIRST BE ADDRESSED IN GENEVA BEFORE ANY DECISION WAS TAKEN TO TAKE MATTERS FURTHER WITH THE FILIPINOS, WHO HAD GENERALLY BEEN VERY USEFUL TO ALL OF US ON REFUGEE MATTERS IN THE PAST. BEYER RELUCTANTLY CONCLUDED THAT NO FURTHER ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN WITH THE FILIPINOS AT THIS STAGE AND UNDERTOOK TO MAKE A FULL REPORT TO

GENEVA. HE HAS IT IN MIND TO ENCOURAGE A VISIT BY A SENIOR UNHCR

REPRESENTATIVE FOR DISCUSSIONS WITH THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT.

COMMENT

8. V

8.1 PROFESS NO EXPERTISE ON REFUGEE MATTERS BUT SEEN FROM HERE

OUR ACCESS TO THE PALAWAN AND BATAAN UNHCR FACILITIES IS NOT

SOMETHING WE SHOULD PUT AT RISK LIGHTLY. BEYER'S AGGRESSIVE APPROACH HAS, AS YOU KNOW, IRRITATED MANY OF THE FILIPINOS WITH WHOM HE HAS BEEN DEALING. IT WOULD NOT BE SENSIBLE TO PUSH THEM INTO A CORNER,

PARTICULARLY AT THIS TIME WHEN THE NEW GOVERNMENT HAS SO MANY OTHER PROBLEMS TO FACE. THE PREVIOUS GOVERNMENT'S LINE WAS ALWAYS

TO COOPERATE WITH UNHCR WHILE HAVING NOTHING TO DO WITH THE

REFUGEES THEMSELVES. IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS I WOULD NOT JUDGE IT

LIKELY THAT THE NEW GOVERNMENT WOULD ACT AGAINST THE UNHCR FACILITIES, BUT THEY MOST CERTAINLY WILL NOT WANT TO BE FACED WITH A REFUGEE PROBLEM OF THEIR OWN.

9. COPIES OF THE (VOLUMINOUS) SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS PRODUCED BY

BEYER FOLLOW BY BAG.

SIGNED N A THORNE

YYYY

MGSMAN 2823

NNAN