CONFIDENTIAL
AKB 2+3/5
100
122406 MDHIAN 3185
CONFIDENTIAL
FM OTTAWA
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 514
OF 132105Z JULY 89
INFO IMMEDIATE PARIS
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, WASHINGTON
INFO ROUTINE BANGKOK, HANOI, JAKARTA, KUALA LUMPUR, MANILA, SINGAPORE INFO ROUTINE CANBERRA, UKMIS GENEVA
PARIS FOR SECRETARY OF STATE'S PARTY
YOUR TELNO 1288 TO WASHINGTON: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG:
CANADIAN ATTITUDE TO NON-VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION
SUMMARY
1.
US HAVE LOBBIED CANADIANS TOO. INDEPENDENTLY, IT SEEMS, MR CLARK TOOK QUITE A HARD LINE IN A SPEECH ON 7 JULY IN BRUNEI. DEA
OFFICIALS CLAIM HOWEVER THAT THIS DID NOT REPRESENT BACK-TRACKING ON
THE PREVIOUS CANADIAN APPROACH.
DETAIL
2 =
DEA ISSUED THIS WEEK THE TEXT OF A SPEECH IN BRUNEI BY CLARK AT
THE CANADA/ASEAN DIALOGUE MEETING (IN THE MARGINS OF THE ASEAN POST MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE) IN WHICH, AFTER WELCOMING THE OUTCOME OF THE GENEVA CONFERENCE AND REFERRING TO CANADA'S COMMITMENT TO TAKE IN 16,000 PERSONS OVER THE NEXT 3 YEARS HE SAID QUOTE:
I ALSO EMPHASISED THAT CANADA FULLY ENDORSES THE PRINCIPLE THAT ANY REPATRIATION MUST BE VOLUNTARY. TO DO OTHERWISE WOULD UNDERMINE THE WIDE PUBLIC SUPPORT WE HAVE IN OUR COUNTRIES FOR THESE PROGRAMMES. LIKE OTHER ELEMENTS IN THE CPA, THIS MUST BE CAREFULLY MANAGED AND GIVEN A CHANCE TO WORK. UNQUOTE.
3.
WE ASKED DEA ABOUT THESE REMARKS WHICH APPEARED STIFFER IN TONE
THAN PREVIOUS INDICATIONS OF CANADIAN POLICY. WE WERE TOLD THAT THIS
WAS NOT THE CASE: IT WAS TO BE INFERRED THAT IF THE PROVISIONS OF THE CPA DID NOT WORK OUT AS WELL AS HOPED, CANADA WOULD BE READY TO LOOK AGAIN AT THE REPATRIATION QUESTION (AND A FRESH SUBMISSION TO MINISTERS WOULD BE NEEDED).
4. WE TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK WHETHER THERE HAD BEEN ANY
CONTACT WITH THE US ABOUT REPATRIATION OF VBPS AND WERE TOLD THAT THE
DEA HAD INDEED BEEN LOBBIED (SOMETIME LAST WEEK) AND HAD BEEN SHOWN A PREPARED STATEMENT WHICH THE US INTENDED TO ISSUE IN THE EVENT OF AN
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CONFIDENTIAL
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