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THE MALAYSIAN AMBASSADOR TO CONVEY VIETNAM'S COMMENTS ON THE DRAFT
DOCUMENT FOR THE KUALA LUMPUR MEETING. VIETNAM'S MAIN POINT OF DIFFICULTY WAS WITH PARAGRAPH 6, PRECISELY ON THE POINT ABOUT NOT TAKING BACK NON-VOLUNTEERS. I REMINDED MR KHOAN THAT UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW IT WAS ACCEPTED THAT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS SHOULD BE SENT BACK TO THEIR COUNTRY OF ORIGIN AND THAT THE LATTER HAD
A DUTY TO ACCEPT THEM. VIETNAM WAS ALREADY IN A RATHER PRIVIOEGED
POSITION IN THAT FUNDS WERE BEING MADE AVAILABLE FOR THE RESETTLEMENT OF RETURNEES. THIS WAS NOT A NORMAL PROCEDURE. WE COULD NOT TOLERATE A SITUATION IN WHICH, SAY CHINESE OR INDIAN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS TO HONG KONG OR THE UK WERE FORCIBLY
REPATRIATED AND ACCEPTED BACK BY CHINA OR INDIA, BUT VIETNAMESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WERE NOT. MR KHOAN MADE NO SUBSTANTIVE REPLY
TO THESE POINTS. HE CONFIRMED THAT VIETNAM WOULD BE REPRESENTED AT THE PREPCON BUT COULD NOT SAY AT THIS STAGE WHO WOULD GO.
5. I THEN RAISED THE ISSUE OF THE ERRATIC FLOW OF ODP CASES TO THE UK (YOUR TELNO 48). MR KHOAN TOOK THE POINT IMMEDIATELY AND PROMISED TO SEE URGENTLY WHAT COULD BE DONE TO HELP. HE COMMENTED
HOWEVER THAT THERE WERE CONSIDERABLE PRACTICAL DIFFICULTIES IN THE WAY OF ATTEMPTING TO ORGANISE THE FLOW: THE MAIN ONE BEING
THE ERRATIC AVAILABILITY OF AIRCRAFT. IT WAS ALSO NOT OFTEN
POSSIBLE TO OBTAIN WARNING INTERNALLY OF WHEN ODP CASES WOULD BE
READY FOR DEPARTURE. CH OF C RAISED THE QUESTION IN HO CHI MINH CITY ON THE SAME DAY WITH UNHCR WHO PROMISED TO DO WHAT THEY
COULD).
6. WE THEN WENT ON TO DISCUSS THE ECONOMIC SITUATION, SINO- VIETNAMESE RELATIONS AND THE CAMBODIAN ISSUE. NOTHING NEW EMERGED
BUT IT BECAME CLEAR THAT MR KHOAN HAD BEEN GENUINELY BUSY ON
THESE AND OTHER ISSUES AND HAD NOT MERELY BEEN AVOIDING CONTACT.
7. I HAVE NOW SEEN THAT THE VNA HAS PUT OUT A REPORT ABOUT THE MOU WHICH WHILE REFERRING TO VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION AVOIDS CONTENTIOUS
LANGUAGE AND HELPFULLY TALKS ABOUT THE FIRST BATCH ARRIVING BACK THIS MONTH.
DAVIES
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