TNAG-1796-FCO40-2556-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 277

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AND FLEXIBLY (AS AFTER ALL THEY HAVE TO DO IN RESPONSE TO REFUGEE CRISES ELSEWHERE).

5.

IF WE DO GET WITHIN REACH OF A BILATERAL ARRANGEMENT WITH VIETNAM ON REPATRIATION, WE MAY HAVE TO ASK UNHCR TO CO-OPERATE IN ITS IMPLEMENTATION ON THE UNDERSTANDING THAT

MULTILATERALISATION MAY NEED TO FOLLOW ONCE SIMILAR

UNDERSTANDINGS ARE REACHED WITH OTHER COUNTRIES. WE MUST HOWEVER CERTAINLY DISCOURAGE ANY INCLINATION ON THE PART OF UNHCR TO SEE

AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE, AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF

MULTILATERAL ARRANGEMENTS, AS PRE-CONDITIONS FOR EFFECTIVE ACTIUN

NOW.

VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION

6. WE ARE SORRY IF OUR IDEAS WERE NOT CLEARLY EXPRESSED. OUR

THINKING IS THIS:

7。

(A)

(B)

(C)

(D)

(E)

/

NOTHING WOULD HAVE SO POWERFUL A DETERRENT EFFECT AS THE WELL-PUBLICISED RETURN OF A SIGNIFICANT BATCH OF BOAT

PEOPLE. IN THE INITIAL PHASE THESE WOULD IN PRACTICE HAVE TO BE VOLUNTEERS WHO, AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT ARE NOW COMING FORWARD IN SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS. WE THINK

THIS OBJECTIVE SHOULD BE OUR IMMEDIATE PRIORITY: WE DID NOT MEAN TO SUGGEST THAT UNHCR SHOULD NOT (NOT)

CONTINUE TO BE INVOLVED. WE ALSO AGREE THAT IT IS IN OUR INTERESTS TO STIMULATE VOLUNTEERS TO CONTINUE COMING FORWARD:

WE THINK IT SHOULD BE POSSIBLE, IF VIETNAMESE STATEMENTS IN HANOI THAT THEY ARE WILLING TO TAKE BACK VOLUNTEERS HAVE ANY SUBSTANCE, TO PROCESS VOLUNTEER RETURNEES MUCH MORE QUICKLY THAN HITHERTO:

WE SHOULD THEREFORE ASK UNHCR TO PASS THE NAMES OF ALL

VOLUNTEERS QUICKLY TO THE VIETNAMESE: AND IN HANOI WE SHOULD URGE THE VIETNAMESE TO ARRANGE FOR THEIR EARLY RETURN, MAKING IT CLEAR THAT WE REGARD THEIR COOPERATION OVER THIS AS A TEST OF GOOD FAITH IN THE CONTEXT OF OUR CONTINUING NEGOTIATIONS:

WE DO NOT HOWEVER FEEL THAT UNHCR WOULD NEED TO BE MORE

DEEPLY INVOLVED (FOR EXAMPLE ON MONITORING THE

CONDITIONS OF RETURNEES) GIVEN THAT THEY HAVE ALL ASKED

TO GO BACK.

WE RECOGNISE THE RISK THAT THE VIETNAMESE MAY HOLD OUT FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. WE SHOULD CERTAINLY NOT OFFER ANY PROSPECT OF THIS AT THE START. BUT IF IT TURNS OUT TO BE A STICKING

POINT WE SHALL NEED TO CONSIDER WHETHER A OFFER OF LIMITED

/

ASSISTANCE WOULD NOT BE AN ACCEPTABLE PRICE TO PAY FOR SECURING THE DETERRENT EFFECT OF THE VOLUNTEERS' RETURN.

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