TNAG-1540-FCO40-2104-Further-resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-i-1986 — Page 182

CONFIDENTIAL

17.

A

unilateral

approach to Vietnam thus appears to present the same very considerable difficulties that it did

Nonetheless we

a year ago.

must face up to the fact that

it would be short-sighted and unwise to continue acting on assumption that the problem of Vietnamese refugees

Hong Kong or elsewhere) can be solved by resettlement

The reasons are all too clear:

the

alone.

(in

(i) "compassion fatigue" will intensify as world attention switches away from SE Asia to fresh

refugee problems (for example in Africa):

(ii) each new resettlement

diplomatic

campaign

gesture and each new

are likely to bring

diminishing

efforts:

returns

despite our

best

(iii) diminishing commitment or greater selectivity

on the part of the resettlement countries

pushes the problem back on countries of first

asylum (and Hong Kong):

(iv) even if resettlement rates could be increased

this would only intensify the potential "pull

effect", mak ing flight from Vietnam more

and swelling the numbers to be

attractive

resettled.

18.

The need is to find a way of tackling the problem

which might minimise the domestic political risks for HMG

while maximising pressure on the Vietnamese to play a cooperative role. It is proposed that we should now begin exploring with the UNHCR and with those countries involved

in the Indo-Chinese refugee problem (the main resettlement

countries and the countries of first asylum) the possibility of a multilateral approach to the problem. The

first step would be to establish a common view of the

nature of the problem and possible solutions.

CONFIDENTIAL