TNAG-1798-FCO40-2558-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 131

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by the occupation of Cambodia, were intolerable. Abu Hassan agreed. The UK and Malaysia had to work together to ensure that first asylum countries were relieved of this burden. Malaysia had proposed an international conference on Indochinese refugees to be held next April. He was pleased that the UK had attended the consultative meetings. Malaysia was following closely our progress on screening and would probąbly adopt a similar policy. Malaysia however had decided to go further and close the Pulau Bidong camp altogether. They would either persuade the Vietnamese to take the refugees back, or persuade third countries to take them.

7. Abu Hassan asked what would happen to the refugees in Hong Kong. Lord Glenarthur explained the steps we had taken and were taking, including our continuing resettlement programme in the UK. All those who arrived after the change of policy and were screened out would have to return to Vietnam. Already 400 had volunteered to go back. Abu Hassan was surprised and encouraged by this figure. Of the Malaysia case-load, only a few were willing to go back. The facts had been made known to them during the recent visit of a Vietnamese delegation. He hoped that the Vietnamese team would come back again. In response to Lord Glenarthur's question, Abu Hassan confirmed that Malaysia had agreed in principal to financial assistance for rehabilitation, but had no idea how much the Vietnamese expected them to pay. Lord Glenarthur informed him that we had reached a similar position; any money would go via UNHCR and be limited to repatriation costs. Abu Hassan said it would be useful if we could exchange information, as a common stand would prevent the Vietnamese playing the first asylum countries off against each other. He also hoped that the UK would attend the various meetings being held by UNHCR. Lord Glenarthur agreed that we should keep in close touch.

Distribution

PS

PS/Lord Glenarthur

PS/PUS

Mr Gillmore

Mr McLaren

SEAD

SAD

HKD

CCD UND

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