TNAG-1789-FCO40-2549-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-general-1989 — Page 25

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MKD 243IS

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MDHOAN 1760

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TO DESKBY 03050OZ BANGKOK

TELNO 566

OF 301615Z DECEMBER 88

INFO PRIORITY HANOI, HONG KONG

INFO ROUTINE UKMIS GENEVA, KUALA LUMPUR, WASHINGTON, CANBERRA INFO ROUTINE OTTAWA, TOKYO, MANILA

3336253

YOUR TELNO 833

VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: DRAFTING GROUP

1. WE NOTE THAT THE (UNSATISFACTORY) PAPER PREPARED IN KUALA LUMPUR IS TO FORM THE BASIS OF THE DRAFTING GROUP'S WORK. OUR

GENERAL RESERVATIONS ON THAT TEXT WERE SPELT OUT IN KUALA LUMPUR

TELNO 672 AND IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT THERE SHOULD BE NO FURTHER

EROSION OF KEY POINTS OF PRINCIPLE. YOU SHOULD MAKE IT CLEAR FROM THE OUTSET THAT ANY LANGUAGE AGREED BY THE WORKING GROUP IS

AD REFERENDUM (UNDERLINED).

2.

REPATRIATION IS LIKELY TO REMAIN ONE OF THE MOST SENSITIVE ISSUES FOR ALL CONCERNED. IN VIEW OF THE UNHELPFUL POSITION

TAKEN BY THE AMERICANS DURING THE KUALA LUMPUR MEETING, IT WILL BE IMPORTANT TO CONCERT CLOSELY WITH THE US DELEGATION BEFORE AND DURING THE MEETING, IN PARTICULAR TO KEEP THEM TO SIGUR'S UNDERTAKING TO ACCEPT LANGUAGE THAT LEAVES OPEN WHETHER REPATRIATION IS TO BE VOLUNTARY OR INVOLUNTARY (WASHINGTON

3011). THIS IS THE MINIMUM (UNDERLINED) WE COULD ACCEPT. 3. ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE FOR DRAFTING PURPOSES IS SET OUT BELOW IN

THE ORDER THE ITEMS APPEARED IN THE KL PAPER. CLANDESTINE DEPARTURES (UNDERLINED)

TELNO

WE PREFER THIS PHRASE. THE USE OF QUOTE ILLEGAL DEPARTURES UNQUOTE SHOULD BE DISCOURAGED (SEE PARA 3A OF TUR). WE SHOULD LET UNHCR TAKE THE LEAD ON REDRAFTING PROPOSALS SINCE THEY HAD

MOST DIFFICULTY WITH THE KL TEXT. THE KEY ELEMENTS FOR US ARE

THAT MEASURES TO DISCOURAGE CLANDESTINE DEPARTURES SHOULD BE BOTH EFFECTIVE AND HUMANE. THIS PART OF THE PAPER COULD USEFULLY DRAW ATTENTION TO THE DETERRENT EFFECT OF A SUCCESSFUL SCREENING

AND WELL-PUBLICISED REPATRIATION PROGRAMME.

ODP AND MIGRATION PROGRAMMES (UNDERLINED)

WE HAVE NO OBJECTION TO STREAMLINING ODP PROCEDURES. BUT WE COULD NOT AGREE TO EXPANSION OF ODP CRITERIA NOR TO MEASURES THAT WOULD INCREASE THE FLOW UNLESS WE WERE SATISFIED THAT EFFECTIVE MEANS WERE IN PLACE TO RESOLVE THE DIFFICULTIES OF RECEPTION CENTRES IN THE UK WHO ARE ALREADY FINDING IT HARD TO COPE WITH UNPREDICTABLE FLUCTUATIONS IN THE RATE OF ARRIVALS UNDER ODP.

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