CONFIDENTIAL
T
113361
MDHOAN 4752
6.
LARRY EAGLEBURGER HIMSELF RECOGNISED IN THIS SPEECH AT THE GENEVA CONFERENCE THAT 'THOSE WHO FLEE CLANDESTINELY AND CANNOT ESTABLISH A WELL FOUNDED FEAR OF PERSECUTION MUST UNDERSTAND THAT SUCH FLIGHT NO LONGER LEADS TO RESETTLEMENT'. BUT HE STOPPED SHORT OF SAYING WHAT HE THOUGHT SHOULD REALISTICALLY HAPPEN TO THESE PEOPLE, OTHER THAN TO WAIT INDEFINITELY IN A HOLDING CAMP UNTIL CONDITIONS IN VIETNAM IMPROVE. I SAW SOME OF THE CAMPS IN HONG KONG WHEN I WAS THERE LAST WEEK: I AM CONVINCED THAT IT IS NO PART OF A HUMANE SOLUTION TO DETAIN PEOPLE IN SUCH PLACES INDEFINITELY WITH NO PROSPECT OF RESETTLEMENT.
THE LOGIC OF THE DECISIONS REACHED IN GENEVA IS THAT THOSE SCREENED OUT MUST RETURN TO VIETNAM. WE ARE WORKING FOR ARRANGEMENTS WHICH WOULD ENABLE THEM TO RETURN ON THE BASIS OF CLEAR ASSURANCES OF HUMANE TREATMENT AND SUITABLE MONITORING ARRANGEMENTS. I HOPE THAT WE CAN FIND WAYS OF RESOLVING OUR DIFFERENCES OVER THIS PROBLEM, AND THAT WE CAN COUNT ON YOUR UNDERSTANDING THAT WE MUST PROCEED ON THE BASIS OF BRINGING THOSE WHO ARE SCREENED OUT TO REALISE THAT THEY HAVE NO FUTURE EXCEPT
IN THEIR OWN HOME COUNTRY. 8.
WE WELCOMED THE GENEROSITY OF THE UNITED STATES OFFER TO TAKE 22,000 REFUGEES FROM THE REGION. BUT IT IS DISAPPOINTING TO HEAR THAT YOUR INTENTION IS TO TAKE RELATIVELY FEW FROM HONG KONG. PEOPLE IN HONG KONG HAVE BEEN DISCOURAGED BY SUCH REPORTS, AND WOULD BE CORRESPONDINGLY HEARTENED BY A STATEMENT OF US READINESS TO RESETTLE SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS FROM HONG KONG.
9. FINALLY, IT WOULD ALSO BE OF THE GREATEST ASSISTANCE IF WE COULD COUNT ON YOUR SUPPORT IN PERSUADING THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT TO AGREE TO THE EARLY CREATION OF THE REFUGEE PROCESSING CENTRE. THE TIMETABLE FOR THIS IS URGENT WHEREAS THE COUNTERPART CAMP FOR THE SCREENED-OUT IN VIETNAM, WHICH IS ONE OF THEIR FOUR CONDITIONS, WOULD NOT BE NEEDED UNTIL TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR ONCE SCREENING HAS STARTED IN OTHER FIRST ASYLUM COUNTRIES. SO CLEARLY WE SHOULD DELINK THE TWO TIMETABLES
PROCEED RAPIDLY WITH THE RPC.
AND
10. IT WOULD BE OF CONSIDERABLE HELP TO US IN DEALING WITH OUR IMMEDIATE PROBLEMS THERE IS YOU WERE ABLE TO DO THIS. 11. I LOOK FORWARD TO DISCUSSING THESE MATTERS AT THIS WEEK'S
ECONOMIC SUMMIT IN PARIS.
HOWE
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