TNAG-1794-FCO40-2554-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 196

CODE 18-77

CONFIDENTIAL

2

Reference...

Australian/Vietnamese Bilateral

8.

Ms Pearce said that, at the Australian bilateral with the Vietnamese in Geneva at the end of May, the Australians had said that, if Vietnam would be prepared to consider accepting returnees, Australia would favourably consider a programme of assistance to returnees which would also build up the infrastructure related

to returnees.

The High Commissioner's letter to Co Thach

9. Ms Pearce said that the High Commission's letter to Co Thach had vaguely indicated the interest of some governments relating to assistance to returnees in the context of a repatriation

programme.

Australian Response to UNHCR paper on Aid to Vietnam

10. (See para 5 above.) The long version of the Australian response (which Ms Pearce has) states that the UNHCR paper is a useful starting point in the process of gaining acceptance of the principle of return as an appropriate solution to the caseload; however, substantial changes are needed to the paper; Australia would want Vietnam to accept the principle of repatriation/return before they could offer Vietnam an assistance package; the UNHCR paper contains areas of concern, eg it is over-prescriptive on guarantees, too detailed on issues such as UNHCR access: such detail would make the Vietnamese government nervous; and Australia has serious difficulties with the claim in the final paragraph, as they maintain that the prospect of resettlement is an inducement to uncontrolled outflow. Generally, Australia sees the paper as somewhat naive, but a useful reference point for discussions within ICG, Asean and, later, with the Vietnamese government. Australia thinks a two-staged approach is needed, ie a pilot phase is required first although they would not insist on this. The fact that UNHCR have no previous experience in resettling urban refugees is irrelevant. Assistance should not be developmental.

11.

Ms Pearce has promised to let me have a copy of the short version of this paper when she receives it.

Waller

21 June 1988

cc: Mr M Reilly, SEAD, FCO

CC:

Mr R Footman, HKD, FCO Mr P Millett, UND, FCO Chanceries: Canberra

Ottawa

Tokyo

Washington

DJ Walker (Miss) UKMIS GENEVA

CONFIDENTIAL