CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 08140OZ FCO
TELNO 3343
OF 08121OZ SEPTEMBER 88
CONFIDENTIAL
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INFO IMMEDIATE TO UKMIS GENEVA, PEKING, HANOI, WASHINGTON INFO IMMEDIATE TO KUALA LUMPUR, BANGKOK
770
053723
MDHIAN 2761
716
अ
OUR TELNOS 3190 AND 3191 AND YOUR TELNO 2241:
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE:
DISCUSSIONS WITH UNHCR
NEGOTIATED WITH
MIFT CONTAINS THE LATEST TEXT (UP TO 081130Z)
UNHCR. THERE ARE THREE OUTSTANDING AREAS OF DIFFICULTY.
(A) CLAUSE A (4) CONSULTATION, SECOND SENTENCE: WE WISH TO HAVE A REFERENCE TO THE UNHCR'S OBLIGATION TO REPORT TO US AS WELL AS ANYONE ELSE, PROBLEMS OF CAMP MANAGEMENT, BUT UNHCR SEE THIS AS CIRCUMSCRIBING THE CONFIDENTIALITY OF THEIR PROTECTION FUNCTION. WE MAY NEED TO CONCEDE THE POINT.
(B) CLAUSE B(3) : WE HAVE FOUGHT VERY HARD FOR THIS, AND UNHCR HERE HAVE ACCEPTED IT BUT STRESSED THE PROVISIONAL AND
AD REFERENDUM NATURE OF THAT ACCEPTANCE. UNHCR WILL NOT AS A
MATTER OF PRINCIPLE STATE THAT ANY GOVERNMENT IS COMPLYING WITH
THEIR REQUIREMENTS. THE FORMULATION HERE IS THE CLOSEST WHICH WE CAN GET. WE THINK IT DOES THE TRICK.
(C) CLAUSE D(3), SAN YICK: UNHCR ARE VERY CONCERNED TO SECURE FROM US A COMMITMENT TO RELOCATE THE RESIDENTS OF SAN YICK IMMEDIATELY. THIS WE SIMPLY CANNOT GIVE IN THOSE TERMS. THE TEXT HERE REPRESENTS OUR BEST OFFER, WHICH UNHCR CLEARLY INTENDS TO DISCUSS WITH GENEVA.
2.
THESE POINTS APART, WE JUDGE THAT WE ARE VERY CLOSE TO AGREEMENT. CLAUSE A(5), RESETTELEMENT OR OTHER DURABLE SOLUTIONS, IS OF INTEREST IN THAT IT COMMITS UNHCR TO INVOLVEMENT
IN THE REPATRIATION OF THOSE SCREENED OUT (BEYOND OUR ORIGINAL NEGOTIATING OBJECTIVES).
3=
WE RECONVENE AT 09063OZ. MOST GRATEFUL FOR COMMENTS ON TEXT BY THEN. THE GOING HAS SOMETIMES BEEN ROUGH, AND WE HAVE NOT MANAGED TO ACHIEVE ALL THE AMENDMENTS IN THIRD TUR.
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