TNAG-1794-FCO40-2554-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 280

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PART OF THE VIETNAMESE PACKAGE. ALTHOUGH UNHCR STRESSED THE NEED TO BUILD UP ANY PROGRAMME FROM A SLOW START THEIR PROPOSALS SEEMED AMBITIOUS, WITH A PROPOSED SCHEME COSTING DOLLARS 5 MILLION FOR 2-3 THOUSAND PEOPLE WHICH WAS IN COMPARISON MORE

GENEROUS THAN THE FIGURES SUGGESTED FOR AFGHAN REFUGEES. BOTH THE US AND UK THOUGH THAT, INITIALLY AT LEAST, THE UNHCR SHOULD AIM FOR A LOWER LEVEL PILOT PROJECT CONCENTRATING ON THE RURAL SECTOR. NEVERTHELESS, THE US AGREED ON THE PRINCIPLE OF AID, ALTHOUGH IT WOULD WISH TO STUDY THE DETAILS FURTHER. HEWITT SAID

THAT WHILE WE BELIEVED THERE WAS A PLACE FOR QUOTE PROVIDING SOME

BAIT UNQUOTE THE UNHCR'S IDEAS WERE PERHAPS MORE EXTENSIVE THAN WE BELIEVED INITIALLY NECESSARY. THE ONLY HESITATION CAME FROM

JAPAN WHICH SAID THAT NOW WAS NOT THE TIME TO WEAKEN PRESSURE ON

VIETNAM AND THAT QUOTE MONEY CANNOT CHANGE VIETNAM'S ATTITUDE UNQUOTE. IN A HELPFUL INTERVENTION, MOORE (US) REMINDED THE MEETING THAT THE GROUP HAD ALREADY REACHED A CONSENSUS AGREEMENT ON THE PRINCIPLE. IT IS NOW UP TO THE UNHCR TO TACKLE SOUNDINGS

OF THE VIETNAMESE.

6. HONG KONG.

THE UK PRESENTED A PAPER ON THE CURRENT SITUATION. IN RESPONSE, THE CANADIANS TOLD US THAT THEY HAD INCREASED THEIR OFF TAKE THIS YEAR, IN ANTICIPATION OF A GENEROUS RESPONSE FROM THE UK. BUT THE FIGURE OF 468 WAS VERY DISAPPOINTING. CANADA WAS THEREFORE LIKELY TO REDUCE ITS OFFTAKE NEXT YEAR. THE US AND UNHCR SIMILARLY REFERRED TO THE MANY CONVERSATIONS THEY HAVE HELD WITH US. ALL MADE IT VERY CLEAR THAT THERE CAN BE NO (NO) PROSPECT OF THEM DOING ANY MORE TO HELP HONG KONG UNLESS THE UK SETS A BETTER

EXAMPLE.

7. COMMENT.

DESPITE THE ACRIMONY, THIS WAS A USEFUL MEETING. THE UNHCR HAS AT LAST OUTLINED PROPOSALS ON AN AID PACKAGE FOR VIETNAM AND THE WAY IS NOW OPEN FOR THEM TO SOUND OUT THE VIETNAMESE. THERE WAS AGREEMENT ON THE NEED TO STEP UP PRESSURE ON VIETNAM THROUGH DIALOGUE, ALTHOUGH THIS WILL CONTINUE TO BE ON A BILATERAL BASIS FOR THE TIME BEING. THERE WAS ALSO AGREEMENT THAT ASEAN SHOULD BE URGED TO DO MORE IN THIS DIRECTION. THE NEWS OF A POSSIBLE JOINT ASEAN APPRUUTED WITH INTEREST FINALLY, FACED WITH THE CONTINUING OUTFLOW OF MIGRANTS THE INCREASING WILLINGNESS TO TOLERATE A TOUGHER APPROACH FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT MEET REFUGEE CRITERIA, INDICATES AN INCREASED WILLINGNESS BY ICG MEMBERS TO CONSIDER FURTHER PRACTICAL RESPONSES TO CHANGING CIRCUMSTANCES.

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