TNAG-1791-FCO40-2551-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 192

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INFO ROUTINE KUALA LUMPUR, SINGAPORE, JAKARTA, BANGKOK, MANILA INFO ROUTINE HANOI UKMIS GENEVA

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YOUR TELNO 808: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES CONTACTS WITH ASEAN: DISCUSSION OF INDO-CHINESE REFUGEES IN ASIA WORKING GROUP, AND DRAFT JOINT DECLARATION OF THE EC-ASEAN MINISTERIAL MEETING

1.

PARA ZE OF OUR TELNO 267 NOTED OUR INTENTION TO RAISE THE

QUESTION OF REFUGEES IN THE EC/ASIA WORKING GROUP MEETING OF

17/18 FEBRUARY.

2.

AT OUR INITIATIVE AN ITEM ON REFUGEES IN SOUTH EAST ASIA

WAS INCLUDED IN THE AGENDA FOR THE MEETING IN THE FOLLOWING TERMS

QUOTE THERE IS GROWING CONCERN ABOUT THE CONTINUING FLOW OF PEOPLE FROM THE COUNTRIES OF INDO-CHINA, THE INCREASING DIFFICULTY OF FINDING RESETTLEMENT PLACES FOR THEM, AND THE STRAIN THIS PUTS ON PLACES OF FIRST ASYLUM. THE UNITED KINGDOM

WOULD WELCOME AN EXCHANGE OF VIEWS ABOUT POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS TO

THE PROBLEM INCLUDING THE SCOPE FOR ACTION BY THE TWELVE UNQUOTE.

3.

WE PROVIDED BACKGROUND MATERIAL BEFORE THE MEETING,

TO

REFERRING

(A)

(B)

(C)

THE REPORTED THAI DECISION TO ESCORT BOATS CARRYING VIETNAMESE REFUGEES OUT OF THAI WATERS, AND THEIR

REPORTED INTENTION TO INTRODUCE SIMILAR MEASURES TO SEND

LAO ASYLUM SEEKERS BACK ACROSS THE MEKONG:

THE INCREASE IN ARRIVALS IN THAILAND AND OTHER

TERRITORIES IN THE REGION IN 1987, WITH SPECIFIC

REFERENCE TO HONG KONG ARRIVAL FIGURES:

THE FACT THAT INCREASINGLY NEW ARRIVALS ARE CONSIDERED

ECONOMIC MIGRANTS AND NOT THEREFORE CONSIDERED ELIGIBLE FOR RESETTLEMENT.

THE BACKGROUND INFORMATION CONCLUDED WITH OUR BELIEF THAT

(D)

AN INTERNATIONAL EFFORT IS REQUIRED TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM

IDEALLY BY PERSUADING THE VIETNAMESE TO ACCEPT THE RETURN OF THOSE BOAT PEOPLE WHO CLEARLY DO NOT FULFIL REFUGEE CRITERIA AND

(E)

RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES SHOULD CONSIDER WHETHER THERE

SCOPE FOR NEW RESETTLEMENT COMMITMENTS, PARTICULARLY FOR COUNTRIES WHERE THE PROBLEM IS MOST ACUTE.

IS

3.

THERE WAS AN INITIAL EXCHANGE OF VIEWS AT THE MEETING,

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