TNAG-1544-FCO40-2108-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-Intergovernmental-Consultativ-1987 — Page 58

GRS 560

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FM UKMIS GENEVA

TELNO 539

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Anyended Dist. 10/10/86

RECEIVED DI NEGIS MA

TO PRIORITY FCO

OF 091614Z OCTOBER 1986

INDE

HINFO PRIORITY HONG KONG

HALAL TORD COPY

Q DIST ?

15 OCT 1986

INFO ROUTINE WASHINGTON, OTTAWA, TOKYO, CANBERRA, BANGKOK HANOW

串

YOUR TELNO 2084 TO HONG KONG (NOT TO ALL): INTER-GOVERNMENTAL

COMMITTEE (''HONOLULU GROUP'')

SUMMARY

1. WORKING LUNCH WITH HONOLULU GROUP ON 9 OCTOBER. USEFUL DISCUSSION BUT SURPRISINGLY LIITTLE SIGN OF COHESION IN GROUP. MEETING OF GROUP WITH UN HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES PLANNED ON 11 OCTOBER. WAY FORWARD WILL BE CLEARER AFTER THAT. NO FINAL COMMITMENT TO BRITISH

PARTICIPATION, BUT THOSE CONCERNED HERE SEEMED FAVOURABLY DISPOSED

TO DEA.

DETANL

2. IN GAVE A WORKING LUNCH ON 9 OCTOBER FOR HONOLULU GROUP MEMBER

STATES (US CANADA, AUSTRALIA, JAPAN). FROM CAPITALS MIT WAS ATTENDED BY AMBASSADOR MOORE AND FUNSETH (WASHINGTON), SHEEHAN (OTTAWA) HEARDER (CANBERRA) AND HAYASH (TOKYO) AS WELL AS LEEKS (HONG KONG DEPARTMENT) AND WOODHOUSE (HONG KONG GOVERNMENT).

3. MADE POINTS IN YOUR TUR AT OUTSET AND AMPLIFIED THESE ARGUMENTS MN SUBSEQUENT DISCUSSION (COPY OF LIST OF POINTS MADE BY BAG TO FCO

AND HONG KONG ONLY). THIS PROMPTED A WIDE RANGING DISCUSSION.

4. FUNSETH (WHO DID MOST OF THE TALKING ON THE AMERICAN SIDE) STRESSED DIFFERENT CHARACTER OF VARIOUS NANDO-CHINESE REFUGEE PROBLEMS. FOR EXAMPLE LAO AND VIETNAMESE ATTITUDES ON ACCEPTING RETURNEES WERE FUNDAMENTALLY DIFFERENT. HE EMPHASISED IMPORTANCE OF CURRENT LAO SCREENING PROGRAMMES WITH WHICH UN HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES HAD BEEN ASSOCIATED. SCREENING AND RETURNING TO LAOS THOSE WHO WERE NOT GENUINE REFUGEES COULD ONE DAY PROVE A PRECEDENT FOR VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE. US CONTHUED TO ATTACH MAJOR IMPORTANCE TO ORDERLY DEPARTURE PROGRAMME AND WERE DISAPPOINTED THAT THE VIETNAM GOVERNMENT HAD SUSPENDED THIS. DEPARTURES BY BOAT COULD STALL TOTAL

UP TO 20000 A YEAR AND WOULD CONTINUE FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.

BAD HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD OF VIETNAM DETERRED VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION

AND COMPLICATED PURSUIT OF ANY FORM OF RETURN TO WIETNAM.

5. CANADA ARGUED THAT EXTENSIVE RESETTLEMENT IN MAJOR RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES HAD ADDED TO PROBLEM BY ATTRACTING OTHERS TO QUIT VIETNAM (''RESETTLEMENT IS NOW PART OF THE PROBLEM). SOME WAY HAD TO BE FOUND TO CONTROL THE OUTFLOW. OPTIONS FOR LOCAL INTEGRATION SHOULD BE EXPLORED.

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