TNAG-1794-FCO40-2554-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 228

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HKD 243/8

- 4 JUL 1980

MDHOAN 9553

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELNO 1749

OF 01130OZ JULY 88

INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA

423

OUR TELNO 179 TO UKMIS GENEVA: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG

KONG: MEETING WITH UNHCR

1.

THE FOLLOWING IS A DETAILED REPORT OF THE 29 JUNE MEETING

WITH BAYANDOR AND BARI, CHAIRED BY ALAN PAUL (HKD) WITH PAUL FIFOOT (LEGAL ADVISERS), PETER THOMAS (SEAD), PETER MILLETT (UND) AND ROBERT FOOTMAN (HKD) ALSO PARTICIPATING.

2.

BAYANDOR SAID THAT HOCKE IN PRINCIPLE HAD NO PROBLEM WITH

A POLICY OF SCREENING, BUT THERE WOULD HAVE TO BE ADJUSTMENTS TO THE POLICY IN HONG KONG BEFORE UNHCR

COULD CLEARLY AND VISIBLY ASSOCIATE ITSELF WITH IT. THE MAIN

PURPOSE OF THE VISIT WAS TO EXPLORE THE SCOPE FOR THIS. 3.

BAYANDOR THEN REITERATED AT LENGTH UNHCR'S RESERVATIONS ABOUT THE TIMING OF THE DECISION, WHICH HE SAID COULD UNDERMINE THEIR EFFORTS IN THE REGION. HE ARGUED THAT UNHCR HAD BEEN ACTIVELY PURSUING ITS DIALOGUE WITH VIETNAM, AND HAD INTENSIFIED ITS EFFORTS AFTER A QUOTE PLAN OF ACTION UNQUOTE HAD EMERGED AT THE

OTTAWA ICG MEETING IN APRIL. IN PARTICULAR, HOCKE HAD WRITTEN ON 16 MAY TO CO THACH CALLING ON VIETNAM TO FACE ITS

RESPONSIBILITIES, AND TO ACCEPT THE RETURN OF NON-REFUGEES: UNHCR WAS ALSO PREPARED TO DISCUSS THE POSSIBILITY OF REINTEGRATION

ASSISTANCE FOR RETURNEES. THIS MESSAGE HAD BEEN REINFORCED

DURING THE MAY ODP DISCUSSIONS IN GENEVA WHEN 17 OUT OF 19

COUNTRIES REPRESENTED PRESSED VIETNAM ON THE SAME POINT. BUT

HOCKE'S FEAR WAS THAT THE NEW POLICY IN HONG KONG WOULD CUT

ACROSS THESE EFFORTS: THAT THE SITUATION IN THE COUNTRIES OF

FIRST ASYLUM IN THE REGION COULD GET OUT OF CONTROL, LEADING TO THE ABANDONMENT OF THE PRINCIPLE OF FIRST ASYLUM, ALL OF WHICH WOULD TAKE THE PRESSURE OFF VIETNAM.

4.

IN RESPONSE, PAUL EXPLAINED WHY THE RAPIDLY DETERIORATING SITUATION HAD MADE IT IMPERATIVE THAT THE POLICY WAS INTRODUCED

WITHOUT DELAY. HE EMPHASISED THAT THE TIMING OF THE NEW POLICY HAD IN NO WAY BEEN INTENDED TO CUT ACROSS UNHCR'S EFFORTS, NOR SHOULD IT BE TAKEN AS A SIGN THAT WE DID NOT VALUE UNHCR'S IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTION. ON THE CONTRARY, WE HOPED THAT UNHCR WOULD INTENSIFY ITS EFFORTS AND BELIEVED THAT THE NEW POLICY PROVIDED

AN OPPORTUNITY FOR IT TO DO SO. HE RECALLED THAT WE HAD TAKEN

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