TNAG-2063-FCO40-2941-Vietnamese-boat-people-repatriation-1990 — Page 6

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VIETNAMESE MIGHT NOT YET BE READY FOR, WAS THE IOM.

4. VU KHOAN, INTERESTINGLY, HAD DESCRIBED THE AMERICAN POSITION AS ''CONTRADICTORY''. HE WONDERED IF THE UNITED STATES WAS NOT USING THE VBP ISSUE TO PERPETUATE OR PROVOKE FURTHER TENSION BETWEEN VIETNAM AND ASEAN COUNTRIES, AS PART OF ITS WIDER INTERESTS IN INDO-CHINA. VU KHOAN'S INTEREST IN FINDING A WAY OUT OF THE CURRENT CPA IMPASSE WAS EVIDENCED BY APPEALS BY VIETNAM TO ITALY, BELGIUM AND THE EC TO INTERCEDE WITH THE UK ON THE ISSUE OF MANDATORY RETURNS. VIETNAM ACCEPTED THAT THE ONLY OPTION FOR NON-REFUGEES WAS RETURN TO VIETNAM. THEIR RETURN AND RE-INTEGRATION, HOWEVER, HAD TO BE PHASED. THE UK HAD BEEN PARTICULARLY HELPFUL HERE, NOT ONLY BY PROVIDING MONEY FOR AN EXPANDED RECEPTION CENTRE IN THE NORTH BUT OVER REINTEGRATION ASSISTANCE FOR EACH PERSON RETURNED. MALAYSIA WAS PROVING MORE DIFFICULT. THEY HAD NOT OFFERED ANY FUNDS FOR REINTEGRATION ASSISTANCE. COULD UNHCR ASSUME THIS BURDEN?

5. VIEIRA DE MELLO URGED US STRONGLY TO RECONSIDER OUR LINE ON FORCIBLE RETURNS (SEE YOUR TELNO 211 TO HANOI). THERE WAS AN URGENT NEED TO MAKE PROGRESS IF A FURTHER MEETING OF THE STEERING COMMITTEE WAS NOT TO BE ABORTIVE. HE SUGGESTED THAT WE MIGHT SELECT NAMES FROM THE LIST OF 462 PERSONS OR ALTERNATIVELY FROM THE 700 OR SO PEOPLE WHO HAVE WITHDRAWN THEIR APPLICATIONS TO RETURN VOLUNTARILY AS CANDIDATES FOR GREY AREA'' TREATMENT, POSSIBLY RETURNING THEM TO VIETNAM ON THE SAME PLANE AS VOLUNTEERS, USING THE GREATER CAPACITY OFFERED BY THE TWO VOLUNTARY RETURN FLIGHTS NOW ORGANISED FOR 20 AND 26 JUNE USING CATHAY PACIFIC TRI-STARS CHONG KONG TENO 1714). THIS WOULD NEED CAREFUL HANDLING BUT IT WOULD HELP TO FUDGE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO CATEGORIES OF RETURNEES, AND PROVIDE GREATER IMPETUS FOR FURTHER RETURNS, UNDERLINING THE INEVITABILITY OF RETURN TO VIETNAM FOR ALL NON-REFUGEES. TO HELP TAKE MATTERS FORWARD, VIEIRA DE MELLO SUGGESTED THAT LE THO OR OTHERS MIGHT BE INVITED TO VISIT HONG KONG TO DISCUSS PRACTICAL ARRANGEMENTS, TRAVELLING ON THE NEXT VOLUNTARY RETURN FLIGHT. SUCH AN INVITATION MIGHT UNDERMINE VIETNAM'S CONCERN ABOUT OUR STRONG LINE ON MANDATORY REPATRIATION BY INDICATING OUR MUTUAL WISH TO TAKE MATTERS FORWARD. IT WOULD ALSO HELP TO EXPOSE THE VIETNAMESE TO THE THORNY ISSUE OF PRACTICAL ARRANGEMENTS ON THE GROUND FOR THE RETURN OF

NON-VOLUNTEERS.

6.

STOLTENBERG MADE CLEAR SEPARATELY TO US THAT HE WOULD BE HAPPY TO SEND VIEIRA DE MELLO TO LONDON TO BRIEF THE DEPARTMENT ON HIS DISCUSSIONS WITH THE VIETNAMESE AND TO DISCUSS A POSSIBLE WAY AHEAD, IF THAT WOULD HELP. MEANWHILE HE HAD ASKED VIEIRA DE MELLO TO BRIEF

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