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RETURN THEM ALWAYS WITH SUITABLE MONITORING, INCLUDING WE HOPED THE HELP OF THE UNHCR. BAKER COMMENTED THAT HE THOUGHT THERE HAD BEEN SOME DEPARTURE FROM THE LAID-DOWN PROCEDURE INVOLVING THE UNHCR. THE US GOVERNMENT ATTACHED IMPORTANCE TO THE UNHCR BEING INVOLVED IN THE INITIAL SCREENING PROCESS AND IN DETERMINING WHETHER OR NOT THERE WAS VOLUNTARY AGREEMENT TO RETURN. IF PEOPLE WERE GOING BACK VOLUNTARILY, THEN THE US WANTED THE UNHCR THERE EVERY STEP OF THE WAY, INCLUDING VIETNAM. BAKER ADDED THAT IF THE UK PRACTICES DEPARTED FROM THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF ACTION, THE PLAN WOULD BREAK DOWN. HE HOPED THE UK WERE NOT ABOUT TO LEAD THE CHARGE.
7. THERE WAS SOME FURTHER DISCUSSION OF THE POSSIBLE MISUNDERSTANING BETWEEN BRITAIN AND THE UNITED STATES OVER THE ROLE OF THE UNHCR. GILLMORE SAID THAT WE WANTED TO INVOLVE THE UNHCR ALL THE WAY THROUGH. WE WANTED TO PERSUADE THEM TO BE INVOLVED AT THE RECEIVING END IN VIETNAM. IF THE US COULD HELP PERSUADE THE UNHCR, THAT WOULD BE VERY WELCOME. BAKER SAID THEY WOULD BE PLEASED TO DO SO. BUT IT WAS APPARENT THAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT UNHCR INVOLVEMENT IN VOLUNTARY REPATRIATIONS.
IF WHAT
8. THE SECRETARY OF STATE SAID THAT UNLESS WE COULD PERSUADE A LARGE NUMBER OF NON-REFUGEES TO GO VOLUNTARILY, WE HAD NO ALTERNATIVE TO THE COURSE WE WERE EMBARKED ON. UNLESS WE GAVE A CLEAR SIGNAL, BOAT PEOPLE WOULD CONTINUE TO COME. HOW WOULD THAT US JUDGE WHAT CONSTITUTED NON-VOLUNTARY RETURN ? BAKER SAID THAT THEY WOULD JUDGE BY WHETHER THE UNHCR SAID A PARTICULAR RETURN WAS VOLUNTARY. WE WERE DOING WAS OUTSIDE THE PROCEDURES LAID DOWN IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF ACTION. THAT WOULD BE MORE DIFFICULT TO SUSTAIN. BUT HIS UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT THE UNHCR WOULD NOT BE INVOLVED IN THAT BILATERNAL PROCESS. BAKER THEN DREW AN ANALOGY BETWEEN VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE AND MEXICANS CROSSING INTO THE UNITED
STATES SAYING THAT THE RETURN OF THE LATTER WAS NOT COMPARABLE WITH VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE BECCAUSE THE MEXICANS WERE HAPPY TO TAKE THEIR OWN PEOPLE BACK AND DID NOT PERSECUTE THEM. THE SECRETARY OF STATE SAID WE WERE SEEKING ASSURANCES OF GOOD TREATMENT ON THE PART OF THE VIETNAMESE AND WE WANTED PROPER MONITORING TO ENSURE THAT THERE WAS NO ILL TREATMENT. WE WANTED THE UNHCR TO BE INVOLVED IN THAT. NO-ONE COULD DO IT BETTER. BUT WE MUST IN THE FIRST INSTANCE CLEAR UP ANY DIFFERENCES OVER POINTS OF FACT.
NEXT BILATERAL
9. IT WAS AGREED THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND BAKER WOULD MEET IN WASHINGTON ON 11 SEPTEMBER.
FERGUSSON
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