TNAG-2062-FCO40-2940-Vietnamese-boat-people-repatriation-1990 — Page 160

CONFIDENTIAL

18

000106

MDHOAN 0846

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELNO 83

OF 09160OZ JANUARY 90

243 15

HK B

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

24 JAN1990*

REGISTOP COPY

DIST ?

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

PA

Action alen

INFO IMMEDIATE HANOI, UKMIS GENEVA

FROM HKD

α

OUR TELNO 27: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: 1990 STRATEGY

1.

2.

THANK YOU FOR SENDING US THE FAX OF YOUR DRAFT EXCO PAPER.

WE AGREE BROADLY WITH THE THRUST OF THE PAPER. WE CONTINUE TO SEE ADVANTAGE IN SETTING OUT TO EXCO THE POSSIBILITIES OF A QUICK TURNAROUND SCHEME WITH EITHER NO APPEALS PROCEDURE OR ONE INVOLVING A MUCH REDUCED TIMEFRAME. WE ARE PARTICULARLY ATTRACTED TO THE LATTER. WE ARE TALKING TO THE CANADIANS TO ESTABLISH EXACTLY WHAT THEIR QUICK TURNAROUND PROCEDURE INVOLVES AND THIS MAY BE HELPFUL AS A PRECEDENT.

3. PARAGRAPH 22 OF YOUR PAPER SHOULD BE AMENDED TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE FACT THAT WE ARE INDEED CONSULTING UNHCR ABOUT WHETHER THEY COULD SUPPORT A QUICK TURNAROUND SCHEME (OUR TELNO 3 TO YOU AND UKMIS GENEVA). WE APPRECIATE THAT YOU WILL WANT TO PUT THIS PAPER TO EXCO VERY SOON. BUT YOU MAY WISH TO CONSIDER AWAITING THE OUTCOME OF UKMIS GENEVA'S DISCUSSIONS WITH UNHCR.

4. TWO FURTHER POINTS ON THE QUICK TURNAROUND SCHEME HAVE OCCURRED TO US. IF WE COULD PERSUADE THOSE COUNTRIES WHO ARE CURRENTLY QUOTE PUSHING OFF UNQUOTE TO ADOPT A QUICK TURN AROUND SCHEME INSTEAD, THIS COULD MAKE THE PRINCIPLE OF QUICK TURN AROUND MORE ACCEPTABLE TO THE US AND UNHCR, ON THE GROUNDS THAT IT WAS THE LESSER OF TWO EVILS. SECOND, THE VERY SPEED OF THE OPERATION COULD FACILITATE THE QUICK REINTEGRATION IN VIETNAM OF RETURNEES SINCE THEIR HOMES AND JOBS MIGHT STILL BE AVAILABLE. WE HAVE ASKED UKMIS GENEVA TO MAKE THESE POINTS TO UNHCR. 5. A FURTHER ASPECT OF THE STRATEGY WHICH YOU MAY WISH TO CONSIDER INCLUDING IS THE RECENT ADVANCES THAT WE HAVE HAD ON THE PHILIPPINE REFUGEE PROCESSING CENTRE · OUR TELNO 4 TO UKMIS GENEVA . WHILE THESE MAY NOT COME TO FRUITION, THEY ARE AT LEAST A HELPFUL AND HOPEFUL RAY OF LIGHT.

6. IN THE INTERESTS OF COMPLETENESS, THE PAPER SHOULD IN OUR VIEW ALSO COVER THE WAY FORWARD ON THE VOLUNTARY PROGRAMME. AS YOUR YOUR PAPER POINTS OUT (PARA 16) THE LARGE SCALE RETURN OF BOAT PEOPLE TO VIETNAM IS AN IMPORTANT DETERRENT TO FURTHER DEPARTURES.

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