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be confirmed in a letter from Hocké and handed to Co this week in Kuala Lumpur during a visit by Homann-Herimberg. If the Geneva meeting took place (dates were still unclear), Homann-Herimberg said that UNHCR wished to use the opportunity to accelerate dialogue with the Vietnamese and to expose them to a wider group of countries
(particularly ASEAN) to stress the humanitarian problems being caused by the refugee exodus, the need to concentrate on legal and orderly departures and to press again on voluntary repatriation.
4.
UNHCR do not have many details about the proposed Thai seminar (para 7 of Hong Kong telno 1277 of 31 March). UNHCR would be anxious to ensure that there was no clash
of dates, if the Thai seminar went ahead. UNHCR also took some hope from the recent meeting of ASEAN senior officials in Bangkok and the further meeting planned for 3 June (also in Bangkok) in preparation for the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' meeting in early July. ASEAN solidarity might provide another means of bringing pressure to bear on Vietnam.
5. It remains unclear why there have been so many conflicting stories about UNHCR's intentions. Bayandor (one of Homann-Herimberg's deputies) told Delia Walker that it was merely an "oversight" that the planned interim ODP meeting with the Vietnamese had not been mentioned at the ICG Ottawa meeting. That does not explain why Paul Adams had no knowledge of the suggestion when we spoke to him on 5 April (para 2 of Delia Walker's letter of 13 April), particularly if Hocké was briefed to raise the issue with Tran Quang Co in Jakarta. There is little love lost, however, between Hocké and Homann-Herimberg; it is not the first time that the latter has failed to keep Hocké fully briefed and the relationship between them is poor. Many other die-hards from the old UNHCR regime have already been removed or retired by Hocké. Homann-Herimberg, who is due to retire at the end of this month, is known to be angling for a three month extension. There are differing views about his chances of success. Vieira de Mello (Hocké's former Chef de Cabinet and designated successor to Homann-Herimberg) is still engaged in setting up the Central America refugee conference and would like a three month extension of this assignment as a result of the postponement to the autumn of that conference. But Hocké may stick to his guns on timing and insist that the change announced at the turn of the year takes place as planned on 2 May. Vieira de Mello is a good
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