TNAG-1905-FCO40-2709-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-voluntary-and-mandatory-repat-1989 — Page 144

NOTE FOR THE FILE

CONFIDENTIAL

Meeting with the Secretary-General on Kampuchea and Vietnam

A meeting took place with the Secretary-General at 9.30 on 6 July 1989 and was attended by the High Commissioner, Under-Secretary-General R. Ahmed, Mr. S.A.M.S. Kibria, Executive Secretary of ESCAP and Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Kampuchean Humanitarian Affairs, Mr. Jamshid Anvar, Director in Mr. Kibria's Office, Mr. G. Arnaout and the undersigned.

KAMPUCHEA

The Secretary-General opened the meeting by referring to recent statements by Prince Sihanouk in Beijing which reflected pessimism on the outcome of the forthcoming International Conference convened by the French Government and wondered whether it was realistic to talk of repatriation at this point in time.

Mr. Kibria indicated that there was a significant number of persons who were actually moving across the Thai/Cambodian border, mainly from Site II, and recalled that Mr. Hun Sen requested assistance for these returnees during his visit to Phnom Penh on 1 June. Mr. Kibria added that it would be important, whatever the political uncertainties, to have a repatriation plan by September, even if it would not prove possible to have it implemented forthwith.

The High Commissioner noted that further preparation was required following the first contingency plan that had been formulated in Bangkok, while Mr. Ahmed pointed out that considerable thinking had developed within the informal group established by Mr. Kibria. He added that UNHCR's lead role would in future call for better arrangements on the spot, including agreement on the eventual phase-out of UNBRO.

The Secretary-General enquired whether there was at present any overlap between UNBRO and UNHCR and expressed the hope that from a staff point of view an eventual UNBRO phase-out would not lead to difficulties. Mr. Kibria replied that there was no duplication between UNBRO and UNHCR at present but once repatriation started, operational supervision should be gradually taken over by the agency that would also be in charge on the Cambodian side of the border. Regarding staff, he added that UNBRO officials understood that UNHCR would be entrusted with the full responsibility of the repatriation operation and he believed that some of them could be usefully employed by UNHCR in the return movement and rehabilitation phases, which the High Commissioner confirmed.