TNAG-1905-FCO40-2709-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-voluntary-and-mandatory-repat-1989 — Page 138

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INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, UKMIS GENEVA, BANGKOK, HANOI

MY TELNO 1838: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE

SUMMARY

1. SELIN (UNDER-SECRETARY FOR MANAGEMENT) TAKING A GRIP ON THE

ISSUE AND KEEN TO IMPROVE THE ATMOSPHERE BETWEEN US. HE BELIEVES

THAT WE ARE UNDER-ESTIMATING THE POSITIVE BENEFITS FOR HONG KONG IN THE CPA, AND ALSO THAT THE FRAGILE CONSENSUS IT REPRESENTS COULD BE PUT AT RISK BY FORCIBLE REPATRIATION. HIS EMPHASIS IS ON PRACTICAL WAYS IN WHICH THE US AND UK CAN COOPERATE.

DETAIL

2.

SELIN CAME TO BREAKFAST ON 20 JULY. HE CONFIRMED THAT HE WAS

TAKING A CLOSE INTEREST IN THE REFUGEES ISSUE GENERALLY (WITH THE

AIM OF GETTING US RESOURCES ORGANISED TO COPE WITH THIS GROWING PROBLEM WORLDWIDE) AND SPECIFICALLY IN THAT OF THE BOAT PEOPLE. HE

HAD ATTENDED THE GENEVA CONFERENCE AND THOUGHT THAT IT WAS NOW

IMPORTANT TO REDUCE THE EMOTIONAL TEMPERATURE OF THE US/UK DIALOGUE

AND TO CONCENTRATE LESS ON THE REPATRIATION QUESTION.

3

SELIN SAID THAT HE DID NOT THINK THAT THE UK GAVE ENOUGH WEIGHT TO THE FACT THAT THE CPA WAS BOTH A POSITIVE AND A FRAGILE

CONSENSUS. IT WAS POSITIVE BECAUSE IT CONTAINED UNQUALIFIED ASSURANCES THAT ALL PRE-CUT-OFF DATE POPULATIONS WOULD BE RESETTLED (THE QUESTION OF WHAT PROPORTION OF THIS GROUP THE AMERICANS MIGHT

TAKE FROM HONG KONG WAS THEREFORE A SECONDARY ISSUE). IT WAS ALSO A MEANS OF PRESSURE ON VIETNAM AND ON COUNTRIES LIKE JAPAN TO STUMP UP

EITHER RESETTLEMENT PLACES OR AT LEAST CASH. IT WAS HOWEVER FRAGILE. US AND WIDER SUPPORT COULD BE JEOPARDISED IF REPATRIATION FROM HONG KONG WENT AHEAD AND AROUSED GREAT CONTROVERSY HERE.

4.

I MADE CLEAR THAT WE VERY MUCH SHARED SELIN'S WISH TO

DE-EMOTIONALISE THE ISSUE. WE WERE NOT INTENDING QUOTE FORCIBLY

UNQUOTE TO REPATRIATE BOAT PEOPLE. WE WOULD BE RETURNING ONLY VOLUNTEERS OR THOSE WHO HAD COMPLETED THE EXHAUSTIVE APPEALS PROCESS AND WHO WERE ACQUIESCENT. I TOLD SELIN IN STRICT CONFIDENCE (AS I HAD EAGLEBURGER) THAT THE FIRST BATCH WERE LIKELY TO BE RETURNED WITHIN THE NEXT FEW DAYS. SURELY ACTION OF THIS KIND WOULD NOT JEOPARDISE US AND OTHER SUPPORT FOR THE CPA.

5 =

SELIN UNDERTOOK TO LOOK CAREFULLY AT HOW THE US MIGHT RESPOND.

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