TNAG-1797-FCO40-2557-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 177

U.S. POSITION PAPER:

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cc. Mr. Fastman HKD (1852

Mr millett,

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ASEAN WORKING GROUP ON REFUGEES FOR SEPTEMBER 16-17 MEETING

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THE U.S. RECOGNIZES THE PRESSURES IMPOSED UPON SOUTH EAST ASIA'S REFUGEE RECEIVING COUNTRIES DURING LATE 1987 AND EARLY 1988, AS ARRIVALS OF VIETNAMESE ASYLUM SEEKERS INCREASED DRAMATICALLY OVER PREVIOUS YEARS' RATES. THAILAND AND HONG KONG HAVE BORNE THE BRUNT OF THIS BURDEN, BUT ALL COUNTRIES OF FIRST ASYLUM HAVE IN SOME WAY BEEN AFFECTED BY THE CONTINUING EXODUS.

·

IN JUNE, PUT

IN RESPONSE TO ASEAN CONCERNS, THE U.S. FORWARD A SET OF PROPOSALS DESIGNED TO PRESERVE FIRST ASYLUM WHILE DISCOURAGING FUTURE CLANDESTINE DEPARTURES FROM VIETNAM THROUGH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF HUMANE

1 DETERRENCE PRACTICES SUCH AS SCREENING OF ASYLUM SEEKERS

CENTRAL TO THE U.S. TO IDENTIFY BONA FIDE REFUGEES. STRATEGY IS THE EXPANSION OF SAFE AND LEGAL ORDERLY DEPARTURE PROGRAMS WHICH, OVER TIME, SHOULD REPLACE CLANDESTINE FLIGHT AS THE PRINCIPAL MEANS OF DEPARTURE FROM VIETNAM. THE U.S. WELCOMES INDICATIONS WE AND THE VARIOUS ASEAN STATES HAVE RECEIVED FROM THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM (SRV) THAT SUGGEST THAT THE SRV IS PREPARED TO FACILITATE ORDERLY DEPARTURE THEREBY MAKING IT POSSIBLE TO REDUCE AND RESTRICT CLANDESTINE FLIGHT. HOWEVER, IT IS THE U.S. VIEW THAT SOME CLANDESTINE FLIGHT WILL CONTINUE TO OCCUR IN THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE AND THAT IT IS THEREFORE INCUMBENT UPON THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO IMPLEMENT POLICIES, SUCH AS GENEROUS FIRST ASYLUM

WHICH WILL NOT COUPLED WITH FAIR AND HUMANE SCREENING, ENCOURAGE FUTURE FLIGHT BUT WILL RECOGNIZE THE RIGHT OF ASYLUM. THE U.S. PROPOSALS ALSO RECOGNIZED THE NECESSITY OF MAINTAINING INTERNATIONAL RESETTLEMENT OFF-TAKE OF ALL GENUINE REFUGEES AND UNDERTAKING SPECIAL EFFORTS TO DEAL

THE U.S. BELIEVES THAT, WITH THE LONG-STAYER POPULATION.

OVER THE LONG TERM, THIS TYPE OF INTEGRATED APPROACH, WHICH ADDRESSES CONCERNS OF BOTH REFUGEE RECEIVING AND RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES, REPRESENTS THE MOST REALISTIC AND HUMANE POLICY FOR REDUCING THE CONTINUING FLOW OF DANGEROUS CLANDESTINE DEPARTURES.

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