TNAG-1792-FCO40-2552-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 96

BUT

NOMIC

AYER IN

MDLOAR

RESTRICTED

161743

MDLOAN 7311

(ZOPFAN) WAS TRANSPARENTLY SELF-INTERESTED.

HE ALSO SUSPECTED THAT THE RUSSIANS WERE IN SOME WAY HELPING THE INTERNAL COMMUNIST REBELLION IN THE PHILIPPINES. FOR THE FILIPINOS THE RUSSIANS HAD

NOTHING TO OFFER IN AREAS OF KEY INTEREST LIKE AID AND

STRENGTHENING DEMOCRACY.

REFUGEES

7. ABU HASSAN (MALAYSIA) TOOK A HARD LINE. VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE WERE BECOMING A PERMANENT PHENOMENON AND WERE PRINCIPALLY ECONOMIC MIGRANTS. HE SUSPECTED OFFICIAL CONNIVANCE BY VIETNAM.

SHE DID NOTHING TO PREVENT THIS EMIGRATION AT SOURCE AND SHOULD BE MADE ACCOUNTABLE. MALAYSIA COULD NOT CONTINUE TO ACCEPT THE PRESENT FLOW. BOTH ABU HASSAN AND DHANABALAN THOUGHT THAT AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON REFUGEES MIGHT BE NECESSARY TO BRING PRESSURE ON VIETNAM.

8. THE SECRETARY OF STATE DREW ATTENTION TO THE DETERIORATING

HONG KONG SITUATION. RESETTLEMENT ALONE WAS NOT ENOUGH. THERE WAS A NEED FOR DURABLE SOLUTIONS AND FOR ECONOMIC MIGRANTS TO BE RETURNED TO VIETNAM UNDER SUITABLE CONDITIONS. HE URGED THE EC

AND ASEAN TO CO-OPERATE TO BRING PRESSURE ON VIETNAM. AT THE

SAME TIME IT WAS IMPORTANT TO MAINTAIN THE PRINCIPLE OF FIRST ASYLUM. GENSCHER ADDED THAT A SOLUTION TO CAMBODIA COULD EASE

THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEE PROBLEM BY CREATING THE CONDITIONS FOR IMPROVED VIETNAMESE ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE.

MIDDLE EAST

9. BRUNEI AND SPAIN RECONFIRMED THE SUPPORT OF BOTH SIDES FOR AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE UN AUSPICES TO SOLVE THE

PALESTINIAN PROBLEM AND FOR UNSCR 598 ON IRAN/IRAQ WAR.

SOUTH AFRICA AND TERRORISM

10. ALTHOUGH SCHEDULED AS AGENDA ITEMS, THERE WAS NO TIME FOR

DISCUSSION ON EITHER TOPIC.

HOWE

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