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FM LON COREU
TO ATHENS COREU PRIORITE
ALL COREU PRIORITE
HKD 243/5
* 68
INFO
CPE/LON 376
28.07.88
17.00 HRS
алу
гад
116110
MDLOAN 7741
TOP COPY olony?
DIFFUSION RESTREINTE
OBJET
VIETNAM AND THE INDO-CHINESE REFUGEE PROBLEM
PART I OF II PARTS
REF: CPE LON 350/352, CPE HAG 295, CPE BON 580, CPE MAD 270,
CPE COP 251, CPE DUB 207, CPE CEE 136, CPE LIS 210, CPE HAG 310, CPE LUX 178
1. THE UK GENERALLY AGREES WITH THE COMMENTS MADE IN RESPONSE TO
THE DRAFT DEMARCHE CIRCULATED IN CPE LON 350/352 SUBJECT TO THE
FOLLOWING POINTS:
(A) CPE BON 850: THE UK AGREES WITH THE NETHERLANDS THAT
VOLUNTARY RETURN REFERS TO THE RETURN OF THOSE WHO ARE ACCORDED
REFUGEE STATUS. THE UK BELIEVES IT IS APPROPRIATE THAT ALL THOSE WHO ARE FOUND NOT TO BE REFUGEES SHOULD BE RETURNED TO VIETNAM,
SUBJECT TO SUITABLE SAFEGUARDS FOR THEIR TREATMENT ON RETURN.
(B) CPE COP 251: THE UK CONSIDERS THAT THE QUESTION OF THE RIGHT
TO FREE DEPARTURE IS NOT ONE THAT NEED BE ADDRESSED IN THIS
DEMARCHE, AND THAT THE AMENDED DRAFT BELOW ADDRESSES AS APPROPRIATE BY REFERRING SIMPLY TO DEPARTURES'.
2.
TEXT BEGINS
THIS POINT
THE TWELVE WISH TO EXPRESS THEIR CONCERN AT THE CONTINUED WIDESCALE DEPARTURES BY BOAT FROM VIETNAM, THE GREATLY INCREASED NUMBERS OF WHICH HAVE PLACED GREAT BURDENS ON THE COUNTRIES AND
TERRITORY IN THE REGION WHICH HAVE RECEIVED THEM. THE PROBLEM DAMAGES VIETNAM'S INTERNATIONAL IMAGE. THE TWELVE URGE VIETNAM
TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THOSE WHO HAVE LEFT AND TO ADDRESS
THE PROBLEM THROUGH CLOSE COOPERATION WITH OTHERS.
·
THE VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE PROBLEM HAS BEEN A SOURCE OF
INTERNATIONAL CONCERN FOR MANY YEARS. BUT IN RECENT MONTHS THIS CONCERN HAS INTENSIFIED AS THE SITUATION BEGAN TO DETERIORATE RAPIDLY: SINCE THE BEGINNING OF 1987 THE NUMBERS OF BOAT PEOPLE ARRIVING IN THAILAND, MALAYSIA AND HONG KONG, THE THREE PRINCIPAL DESTINATIONS, HAVE INCREASED DRAMATICALLY. THE CAMP POPULATIONS HAVE INCREASED FROM 6,300 TO OVER 13,000 IN THAILAND (TO MAY), FROM 9,000 TO 11,500 IN MALAYSIA (TO MAY), AND FROM 8,000 TO OVER 22,000 IN HONG KONG (LATE JULY). POSSIBILITIES FOR RESETTLEMENT IN THE WEST CANNOT KEEP ABREAST OF THOSE INCREASED
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