TNAG-1971-FCO40-2804-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation-1989 — Page 43

CONFIDENTIAL

нко

HKD 243/94

(51

154540

MDHOAN 9204

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELNO 845

OF 141815Z APRIL 89

TOP COPY

Q DIST ?

AND TO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON, BANGKOK, SINGAPORE

AND TO IMMEDIATE MANILA, JAKARTA, KUALA LUMPUR

AND TO IMMEDIATE BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

INFO PRIORITY HANOI

FROM HKD

YOUR TELNOS 1163 AND 1173:

1.

REGIONAL HOLDING CENTRE

WE AGREE THAT THE IDEA OF A REGIONAL HOLDING CENTRE FOR THOSE SCREENED OUT COULD HAVE MAJOR ATTRACTIONS, FOR THE REASONS YOU GIVE. THE IDEA IS OF COURSE NOT A NEW ONE. IT HAS BEEN PROMOTED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS IN THE PAST, BUT WITHOUT SUCCESS. THE DIFFICULTY HAS ALWAYS BEEN THAT, WHILST THE GOVERNMENTS CONCERNED WELCOME THE IDEA IN PRINCIPLE, IT HAS PROVED IMPOSSIBLE TO SECURE THE AGREEMENT OF ANY ONE GOVERNMENT TO THE SITING OF SUCH A CENTRE ON ITS TERRITORY. WE IMAGINE THAT THIS COULD WELL CONTINUE TO BE A PROBLEM, NOT LEAST SINCE, AS CURRENTLY CONCEIVED, THE IDEA IS THAT THOSE DESTINED FOR THE HOLDING CENTRE WOULD BE NON REFUGEES AWAITING REPRATRIATION TO VIETNAMM (RATHER THAN, BOAT PEOPLE AWAITING SCREENING OR REFUGEES AWAITING RESETTLEMENT). THIS WOULD ENTAIL SUBSTANTIAL, AND QUITE POSSIBLY LONG TERM, PROBLEMS AND THERE WOULD PRESUMABLY HAVE TO BE CORRESPONDINGLY MAJOR INDUCEMENTS FOR THE GOVERNMENT CONCERNED.

2.

WE NEVERTHELESS THINK THAT IT WOULD BE USEFUL AT THIS STAGE IF ASEAN POSTS COULD TAKE PRELIMINARY SOUNDINGS OF THEIR HOST GOVERNMENTS TO FIND OUT WHAT THEY THINK OF THE IDEA AND HOW STRONGLY THEY ARE LIKELY TO PURSUE IT. GIVEN THAT THE PHILIPPINES APPEARS TO BE THE CURRENT FRONT RUNNER AS THE LOCATION, WE WOULD BE PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN THE VIEW FROM MANILA.

3.

WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL IF UKMIS GENEVA COULD MAKE A SIMILAR APPROACH TO UNHCR. WE HOPE THAT UNHCR WOULD BE PREPARED TO PLAY AN ACTIVE PART IN PROMOTING THE CONCEPT AND WOULD BE WILLING TO BECOME INVOLVING IN ANY SCHEME, SHOULD IT MATERIALISE.

THAT

4. (FOR WASHINGTON). HONG KONG TELNO 1186: WE CONCLUDED IT WOULD NOT BE RIGHT AT THIS STAGE TO BRIEF THE SECRETARY OF

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CONFIDENTIAL