TNAG-1789-FCO40-2549-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-general-1989 — Page 231

M. Tomas

Mr Gon

RESTRICTED

how meld

Strange how aw (AMA The Malaysi fracomforce?

FM CANBERRA

TO TELELETTER FCO

TELELETTER FILE REF N FR

OF 03010OZ NOVEMBER 88

怂

Криди

PLEASE NOTE

7 cc PL

208) + back /

103767

TTAN 4614

SEAD COPY TO SPD

T HKD

INFO TELELETTER HONG KONG, BANGKOPIES HAVE BEEN PASSED TO

FROM W C PATEY, CANBERRA FOLLOWING FOR SEAD FCO, /

COPIED TO DPA HONG KONG, SPD FCO, HKD FCO, CHANCERIES BANGKOK, KUALA LUMPUR, JAKARTA

INDO-CHINA: REFUGEES

he

告

Artull Rai verf Arissie

могу vanity to discourage them prom putting up the suites that peale?

пешла

1. ''THE AUSTRALIAN OF 2 NOVEMBER REPORTS THAT THE THAIS HAVE SUGGESTED INFORMALLY TO THE AUSTRALIANS THAT THEY MIGHT HOST AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE AIMED AT RESOLVING THE PROBLEM OF REFUGEES IN INDO-CHINA. THE AUSTRALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER IS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT INDICATION OF THE EXTENT TO WHICH AUSTRALIA IS ACCEPTED AS A RELEVANT PLAYER IN THE

REGION.

2

·

I SPOKE TO GRAHAM HAWKER RESPONSIBLE FOR INDO-CHINA REFUGEES IN DFAT WHO CONFIRMED THAT THE THAIS HAD MADE SUCH A SUGGESTION. THE AUSTRALIANS WERE FLATTERED BY THE IDEA ALTHOUGH THEY GAVE NO COMMITMENT. THE THAIS WERE PLANNING TO RAISE THIS QUESTION AT THE ASEAN WORKING GROUP MEETING ON 27 OCTOBER.

3. DFAT HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF IMMIGRATION ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF HOSTING A CONFERENCE. THE AUSTRALIANS HAVE RECOGNISED THAT IF THEY HOSTED A CONFERENCE THIS COULD INCREASE THE PRESSURE ON THEM FOR A LARGER RESETTLEMENT COMMITMENT THAN MIGHT OTHERWISE HAVE BEEN THE CASE. THE DEPARTMENT OF IMMIGRATION'S INITIAL VIEW IS THAT SUCH PRESSURE IS CONTAINABLE.

COMMENT

4. THE AUSTRALIANS SEE CONSIDERABLE ATTRACTION IN BEING THE HOST OF SUCH AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE. THIS WOULD DEPEND ON THE DEGREE OF SUPPORT FOR AUSTRALIA AS A VENUE AMONGST FIRST ASYLUM COUNTRIES AND ON PRACTICAL QUESTIONS SUCH AS SHARING OF COSTS. THE KUDOS THAT AUSTRALIA WOULD EXPECT TO GAIN IN THE REGION WOULD PROBABLY BE SEEN TO OUTWEIGH THE DANGERS OF BEING UNDER PRESSURE

1

PAGE

RESTRICTED

لا