TNAG-1544-FCO40-2108-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-Intergovernmental-Consultativ-1987 — Page 8

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MIPT: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES: INTER-GOVERNMENTAL CONSULTATIVE GROUP

(ICG) (HONOLULU GROUP)

1.

THE FOLLOWING ARE POINTS TO RAISE WITH HOCKE ON 5

JANUARY:

BEGINS

(A)

GRATEFUL FOR COPY OF THE PAPER. HAVE STUDIED WITH

INTEREST, AS HAVE COLLEAGUES IN LONDON. WE AGREE STRONGLY WITH ITS CALL FOR NEW APPROACHES IN THE QUEST FOR DURABLE SOLUTIONS. HMG CONCERNED ABOUT PROBLEM IN HONG KONG (ESPECIALLY OVER LONG-STAYERS) AND REST OF SE ASIA. HMG ARE, OF COURSE,

DEEPLY INTERESTED IN FINDING DURABLE SOLUTIONS TO THESE

PRESSING HUMANITARIAN ISSUES, IN VIEW BOTH OF OUR RESPONSIBILITY FOR HONG KONG AND OUR CONCERN FOR STABILITY IN SE

ASIA. CANNOT CONTINUE WITH RESETTLEMENT FOREVER.

BEEN ANY DEVELOPMENTS SINCE ICG OCTOBER MEETING?

TO MEET GROUP AGAIN IN NEAR FUTURE?

(B)

HAVE THERE

ARE YOU LIKELY

INTERESTED IN THE CATEGORISATION IN PARA 16 OF THE PAPER

OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE INTO 4 MAIN GROUPS, AND THE POSSIBILITY OF AN INFORMAL SCREENING PROCESS (PARA 17) AND A PROGRAMME FOR

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A

REPATRIATION (PARA 22) (ON, AS YOU SAY, AN QUOTE ORDERLY AND

HUMANE UNQUOTE BASIS). YOU IMPLY THAT SUCH A PROGRAMME WILL TAKE

SOME TIME TO ARRANGE, AND MAY INDEED BE VERY DIFFICULT TO

ACHIEVE. WHILE WE AGREE ON THE NEED FOR SOME FLEXIBILITY IN ANY

SCREENING OUT ARRANGEMENTS WE FORESEE A NEED FOR SOME FORM OF

AGREED CRITERIA. WHAT ARE YOUR VIEWS ON THIS? WOULD UNHCR MAKE

SUGGESTIONS? WHAT INTERIM ARRANGEMENTS WOULD YOU ENVISAGE FOR

QUOTE SCREENED-OUT UNQUOTE ASYLUM SEEKERS UNTIL A REPATRIATION

PROGRAMME COULD BE IMPLEMENTED?

(C)

AS YOU ARE AWARE, HONG KONG IS UNUSUAL IN HAVING A LARGE

CASELOAD OF NORTH VIETNAMESE, WHO ARE PROVING INCREASINGLY

DIFFICULT TO RESETTLE. YOUR SUGGESTION (PARA 19 OF THE PAPER) ON

DEFINING QUOTE MANDATE UNQUOTE ASYLUM-SEEKERS WOULD APPEAR TO

(NEXT WORD UNDERLINED) EXCLUDE MOST NORTH VIETNAMESE, SINCE THE

MAJORITY HAVE NOT BEEN SUBJECTED TO SIGNIFICANT QUOTE CHANGES IN

THE LAST DECADE UNQUOTE. IT ALSO SEEMS CLEAR THAT MOST WOULD

(NEXT WORD UNDERLINED) NOT QUALIFY TO BE CONSIDERED UNDER

CATEGORIES A OR C. DO YOU THEREFORE ENVISAGE THAT MOST NORTH

VIETNAMESE WOULD BE TREATED AS ECONOMIC MIGRANTS?

(D)

YOU REFER IN PARA 22 OF THE PAPER TO THE REPATRIATION OF

SPECIAL GROUPS, SUCH AS THOSE IN CERTAIN AGE BRACKETS. GRATEFUL

FOR YOUR THOUGHTS ON WHICH AGE BRACKETS COULD BE INVOLVED THE

VERY YOUNG? SINGLE YOUNG MALES? THE ELDERLY? AND WHAT OTHER

GROUPS MIGHT BE CANDIDATES FOR REPATRIATION? WOULD ALSO LIKE TO

HEAR YOUR THINKING BEHIND THE REFERENCE TO QUOTE DIVIDENDS

UNQUOTE. DOES THIS MEAN A POSSIBLE LINKAGE BETWEEN REPATRIATION

AND A RESUMPTION OF AID TO VIETNAM? THIS RAISES SERIOUS

DIFFICULTIES FOR WESTERN COUNTRIES IN VIEW OF VIETNAM'S OWN HUMAN

RIGHTS RECORD AND ITS OCCUPATION OF CAMBODIA. DO YOU THINK

VIETNAMESE WOULD AGREE TO A SCREENING PROGRAMME, TO REPATRIATION

WITHOUT EXESSSIVE STRINGS, AND TO GIVE RELIABLE ASSURANCES THAT

UNACCEPTABLE

PUNITIVE ACTION WOULD NOT BE TAKEN AGAINST RETURNEES? WOULD THEY

PERMIT UNHCR TO MONITOR THEIR TREATMENT AFTER RETURN ?

Х

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