TNAG-1788-FCO40-2548-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-general-1988 — Page 259

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COUNTRIES OF FIRST ASYLUM OF THE NOTION THAT NON-RESETTLEMENT SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEMS MAY BE VIABLE AND CAN BE IMPLEMENTED. THE PURPOSE OF THIS CABLE IS TO BRIEF YOU ON OUR THINKING AND TO REQUEST FURTHER CLARIFICATION OF RESPECTIVE COUNTRY AND U.N THINKING SO THAT WE CAN MAINTAIN THE MOMENTUM THAT HAS DEVELOPED. KEY ISSUES INCLUDE:

THE MECHANISM OF RETURN AND HOW THAT MIGHT BE AGREED AMONG THE INTERESTED PARTIES.

HOW THE COUNTRIES OF FIRST ASYLUM INTEND TO TRANSLATE INTO ACTION THEIR APPARENT WILLINGNESS TO PURSUE

NON-RESETTLEMENT DURABLE SOLUTIONS GIVEN THEIR COMMITMENT TO CONTINUED LARGE SCALE RESETTLEMENT

THE ROLE OF AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE MOVEMENT

IN ACHIEVING

ATTITUDES TOWARDS DEVELOPMENT OF A REPATRIATION/HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE PACKAGE

2. THE INTRODUCTION OF SCREENING PROCEDURES IS ESSENTIAL IF AN ACCEPTABLE RETURN MECHANISM IS TO BE ESTABLISHED. ON THE OTHER HAND SCREENING AND ITS IMPLICATIONS INCLUDING THE EXISTENCE OF A SCREENED-OUT CASELOAD IS A NERVOUS ISSUE FOR THE FIRST ASYLUM COUNTRIES WHOSE ENDURING INTEREST 15 TO AVOID BEING LEFT WITH THE PROBLEM - HENCE THE HEAVY EMPHASIS THEY HAVE PUT ON THE HOLDING OF AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE WHICH THEY PERCEIVE WOULD, AMONG OTHER THINGS, PROVIDE APPROPRIATE GUARANTEES FOR THEM - THUS BALANCING THE POSSIBLE NEGATIVE OUTCOMES THAT MIGHT FLOW FROM THE INTRODUCTION OF SCREENING.

3. ONE COMPLICATION TO PROGRESS AT PRESENT IS THE SRV'S PREFERENCE TO ESTABLISH ARRANGEMENTS BILATERALLY WITH FIRST ASYLUM COUNTRIES AND TO AVOID AN INTERNATIONALLY ORGANISED AND SANCTIONED MECHANISM. THIS ALSO HAS IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROPOSED INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE AND THE LIKELY ROLE FOR THE UN SECRETARY-GENERAL AND THE HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES.

4.

THE SRV'S INSISTENCE ON BILATERAL NEGOTIATIONS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE HIGHLY DIVISIVE AS THE VIETNAMESE WOULD BE WELL AWARE, HONG KONG'S RECENT EXPERIENCE IN ITS BILATERAL NEGOITATIONS IN HANOI CONFIRMS THAT THE VIETNAMESE WILL PROVE TOUGH NEGOTIATORS,

WHILE THE POSITION OF THE SRV IZ STILL UNCLEAR IT ARPEARS THAT MOST OTHER GOVERNMENTS WILL GO ALONG WITH THE IDEA OF INTERNATIONAL CONSULTATIONS CULMINATING IN AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE SOMETIME NEXT YEAR. A USEFUL STEP WOULD BE TO-FIND A FORMULA FOR A CONFERENCE THAT WOULD MOVE AWAY FROM THE NEGOTIATING MODEL THE ASEANS SEEM TO BE CONTEMPLATING TO A MODEL THAT WOULD HAVE PARTICIPANTS SIMPLY ENDORSING MECHANISMS AND ARRANGEMENTS ALREADY AGREED. IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE THAT THIS WOULD BE THE MORE ACCEPTABLE

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