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MDLIAN
UNHCR UNTIL THEY WERE REPATRIATED TO VIETNAM AND WAS ADAMANT THAT THEY SHOULD BE TREATED UNDER MORE RELAXED RULES IN THE DETENTION CENTRE. HOWEVER, WHEN THE QUESTION OF COSTS WAS RAISED, BARI SAID THAT UNHCR WOULD NOT REGARD SCREENED OUT VIIS AS THEIR
RESPONSIBILITY.
COMMENT
13. BAYANDOR AND BARI CLEARLY CAME TO HONG KONG TO PRESS US HARD
ON THE ISSUES OF CONCERN IDENTIFIED BY UNHCR AT THE OUTSET. THEY CAME CLOSE TO THREATS ON ONE OR TWO OCCASIONS AND REPEATEDLY STRESSED THAT UNHCR COULD ONLY ASSOCIATE ITSELF WITH OUT PROCEDURES IF THEY COULD OBTAIN ADEQUATE ASSURANCES ON THE AREAS OF CONERN. WE MADE IT CLEAR THATN WHILE WE WISHED UNHCR TO BE INVOLVED AND TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR NEW POLICY, THIS WOULD NOT BE AT WHAT WE CONSIDERED AN UNACCEPTABLE PRICE IN TERMS OF PRACTICABILITY, SECURITY OR THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE DETERRENT ELEMENT. WE URGED THEM TO INVOLVE THEMSELVES ACTIVELY IN THE SCREENING PROCEDURES, POINTING OUT THAT OUR POLICY WAS IN LINE WITH THE TREND OF INTERNATIONAL THINKING ON HOW TO PROCEED AND COULD WELL BECOME A MODEL FOR OTHER COUNTRIES IN THE REGION. WE CONCLUDED DISCUSSIONS BY INDICATING THAT WE WERE STILL AT THE EARLY STAGE OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEW POLICY. ITS DETERRENT EFFECT HAD YET TO BE FELT. NEW FACTORS SUCH AS TALKS WITH HANOI HAD JUST COME
INTO PLAY.
14. WE HOPE THAT UNHCR WILL BE PREPARED TO SOFTEN THE HARD LINE ADOPTED BY BAYANDOR AND BARI AND THAT, THROUGH FURTHER DISCUSSIONS AND COPPERATION WE COULD ACHIEVE ''CONVERGENCE'' (A TERM WHICH WE USED IN OUR FINAL DISCUSSIONS WITH BAYANDOR AND BARI).
WILSON
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PS/LORD GLENARTHUR
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MR GILLMORE
MR MCLAREN
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CONFIDENTIAL
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