CONFIDENTIAL
113630
MDHIAN 4477
THAI PROPOSAL FOR A CONFERENCE. ALSO QUINONES COMMENTED THAT IS WAS
NOT TOO EARLY TO BE THINKING ABOUT CONCRETE MEASURES ON
REINTEGRATION ASSISTANCE.
10. WE UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN DE MELLO VISITS HANOI (BEFORE EXCOM) HE
WILL BE CANVASSING THE IDEA OF REINTEGRATION ASSISTANCE AS THE INDUCEMENT FOR VIETNAMESE INVOLVEMENT IN THE ASEAN WORKING GROUPS.
IN ADDITION THE DRAFT AGENDA FOR THE LATE OCTOBER WORKING GROUP MEETING CONTAINS AN ITEM ON REINTEGRATION ASSISTANCE. PROVIDED WE DO
NOT BREAK RANKS WITH ASEAN AND THE ICG COUNTRIES WE THINK THERE IS SOMETHING TO BE GAINED, AND NOTHING TO BE LOST, BY STAYING AHEAD OF THE FIELD.
ASSESSMENT OF VIETNAMESE OBJECTIVES
11. WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR AND HANOI'S ASSESSMENT OF THE VIETNAMESE OBJECTIVES IN THESE DISCUSSIONS. SEEN FROM HERE THEY ARE LIKELY TO BE:
A) FIRST AND FOREMOST, TO IMPROVE THEIR INTERNATIONAL STANDING THROUGH DIALOGUE AND CO-OPERATION ON THE BOAT PEOPLE PROBLEM.
B) TO ESTABLISH A CASE FOR REINTEGRATION ASSISTANCE AS THE BASIS FOR THE RETURN OF SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS (IE THE LESS WILLING AS WELL AS THE VERY WILLING) TO VIETNAM.
C) TO MAKE (A) AND (B) THE BASIS FOR A GENERAL ECONOMIC AID PROGRAMME.
12. WE PROPOSE THAT WE SHOULD, FOR THE PURPOSES OF THESE TALKS, TRY TO FUDGE THE ISSUE OF INVOLUNTARY REPATRIATION SO THAT THERE IS A GREATER CHANCE OF THE VIETNAMESE MOVING AWAY FROM THE ATTEMPT TO DRAW A RIGID DISTINCTION BETWEEN VOLUNTARY AND INVOLUNTARY RETURN. WE BELIEVE THAT, IN DUE COUSE, MANY OF THOSE SCREENED OUT MAY BE ENCOURAGED TO RETURN IF (1) THEY ARE CONVINCED THERE IS A NO PROSPECT OF RESETTLEMENT, AND (2) THERE IS ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE TO HELP THEM RE-ESTABLISH THEMSELVES.
13. ONE POSSIBLE DANGER IS THAT THE VIETNAMESE MIGHT BE TEMPTED TO USE DISCUSSIONS WITH US ON REINTEGRATION ASSISTANCE TO BID UP AN
ASEAN OFFER. WE WOULD NOT WISH TO AGREE TO ANYTHING WHICH MIGHT BE SEEN AS PRE-EMPTING THE MULTILATERAL EFFORT. BUT OUR PROBLEM WITH VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IS MORE SERIOUS THAN THAT FACED BY ANY ASEAN COUNTRY. WE MUST THEREFORE TRY TO ENSURE THAT THE VIETNAMESE SEE SOME SCOPE, AS WE DO, FOR LAYING THE FOUNDATIONS OF A SCHEME IN THESE
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