TNAG-1905-FCO40-2709-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-voluntary-and-mandatory-repat-1989 — Page 34

RESTRICTED

173620 MDLIAN 0423

ANY WAY WITH THIS GROUP, DESPITE OUR CLEAR WISH, SHARED BY THE VIETNAMESE, THAT THEY SHOULD DO SO. VIEIRA DE MELLO CONFIRMED WHAT GILLMORE SAID. HE ADDED THAT HE HIMSELF COULD SEE THE ARGUMENT FOR EXTENDING TO THIS GROUP, UNDER THE UNHCR'S QUOTE GOOD OFFICES UNQUOTE WHAT THE ORGANISATION ALREADY DID FOR REFUGEES AND ASYLUM SEEKERS RETURNING TO VIETNAM

VOLUNTARILY.

4. GILLMORE WENT ON TO ARGUE THAT IT WAS IN THE AMERICAN INTEREST, AS WELL AS OUR OWN, FOR UNHCR TO COOPERATE IN REPATRIATING THOSE IN THE GREY AREA. THE SIMPLEST METHODS MIGHT BE TO PERSUADE THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT TO EXTEND THE TERMS OF THE 13 DECEMBER 1988 AGREEMENT TO THIS CATEGORY. HOWEVER THE HIGH COMMISSIONER HIMSELF, JEAN-PIERRE HOCKE, WOULD NEED CONVINCING. AT THE MOMENT HE WAS ADAMANTLY OPPOSED. GILLMORE EXPLAINED THAT IT WAS ESSSENTIAL TO RELIEVE A PRESSURE WHICH WOULD INEVITABLY BUILD UP AS THE NUMBER OF SCREENED OUT IN HONG KONG, AND LATER IN OTHER FIRST ASYLUM COUNTRIES, INCREASED. MALAYSIA AND THAILAND WERE ALREADY SEEKING OUR ADVISE ON HOW TO PROCEED. IT WOULD BE VITAL THAT THE NEW REPATRIATION ARRANGEMENTS SHOULD BE ON A SOUND AND RESPONSIBLE BASIS AND INVOLVE THE UNHCR. WE WOULD BE PREPARED TO USE OUR INFLUENCE IN STEERING THE FIRST ASYLUM COUNTRIES IN THAT DIRECTION, RATHER THAN ANY OTHER. WE VERY MUCH HOPED THE AMERICANS WOULD FIND THEIR WAY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE WERE DOING AND WHY. FOR THEIR PART, THEY SHOULD REALISE THAT THEY HAD A SERIOUS PROBLEM ON THEIR HANDS WITH THE FIRST ASYLUM COUNTRIES, PARTICULARLY WHEN THE FULL IMPACT OF EAGLEBURGER'S STATEMENT AT THE ICIR THAT THE US REMAINED UNALTERABLY OPPOSED TO MANDATORY REPATRIATION QUOTE UNTIL DRAMATIC CHANGES OCCURED IN VIETNAM'S ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND POLITICAL LIFE SANK HOME. AFTER BOLTON SUGGESTED THAT A REGIONAL HOLDING CAMP FOR THE SCREENED OUT MIGHT BUY MORE TIME, GILLMORE EXPLAINED THAT NO COUNTRY WOULD BE LIKELY TO ACCEPT SUCH A CAMP ON ITS TERRITORY WITHOUT CLEAR ASSSURANCES THAT THE SCREENED OUT WOULD RETURN, WITHIN A FINITE PERIOD, TO VIETNAM. BOLTON WAS NOT ATTRACTED BY THE IDEA OF SUCH A CAMP IN GUAM. AT THE END OF THE CONVERSATION HE REFERRED TO THE HOLDING CAMP IDEA AS A NON-STARTER.

5. BOLTON REVEALED THAT ADMINSTRATION FACED CRITICISM FROM THE RIGHT OVER NON-VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION TO COMMUNIST COUNTRIES AND THAT PRESIDENT BUSH HIMSELF HAD SET HIS FACE AGAINST IT. SOLOMON WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE MOTHODS WHICH MIGHT BE USED BY THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES TO PERSUADE BOAT PEOPLE TO GO BACK. BUT IN CONCLUSION THEY AGEED TO CONSIDER WHAT WE HAD SAID, NOTABLY OVER THE NEED TO INVOLVE UNHCR IN GREY AREA REPATRIATION. BOLTON UNDERTOOK TO REPORT

2

PAGE

RESTRICTED