TNAG-2064-FCO40-2942-Vietnamese-boat-people-and-China-1990 — Page 6

CONFIDENTIAL

177766 MDHIAN 8457

CONFIDENTIAL

FM WASHINGTON

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 451

OF 240058Z FEBRUARY 90

Hiki

24315

ECEIV

$90

COPY

#

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, UKMIS GENEVA, HANOI, PIKING

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MY TELNO 443: VBPS

SUMMARY

1. RECENT CONTACTS WITH US OFFICIALS REVEAL NO (NO) SIGN OF A SHIFT IN THE US POSITION OF PRINCIPLE. THE US URGE US TO ANNOUNCE A DEFINITIVE CONTRIBUTION TO UNHCR.

DETAIL

ON 20

2. IN ADDITION TO THE EXCHANGE IN TUR WE HAVE HAD A NUMBER OF OTHER DISCUSSIONS WITH US OFFICIALS ON VBPS RECENTLY. FEBRUARY THE MINISTER WENT OVER THE GROUND WITH FUNSETH (REFUGEE PROGRAMMES BUREAU STATE DEPARTMENT) AND DREW HIS ATTENTION TO THE CONCLUSION OF THE EC/ASEAN MINISTERAL MEETING CHANOI TELNO 98). FUNSETH STRESSED THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT IN US EYES THAT THE BRITISH CONTRIBUTION TO UNHCR FUNDING SHOULD BE MADE DEFINITIVE SOONER RATHER THAN LATER. THIS WOULD HELP US MOUNT A CAMPAIGN TO PERSUADE OTHER DONORS TO CHIP IN, AND TO PERSUADE THE AMERICANS OF OUR SERIOUS DESIRE TO MAKE UNHCR MORE EFFECTIVE IN THE SCREENING AND MONITORING PROCESS (OTHER STATE DEPARTMENT CONTACTS HAVE TAKEN A SIMILAR LINE). FUNSETH SAID THAT HE DID NOT BELIEVE 1 JULY WAS A PRACTICAL DATE FOR BEGINNING MANDATORY REPATRIATION, GIVEN THE LACK OF PREPARATION BY UNHCR AND VIETNAM. THE ABSENCE OF A PROPER INFRASTRUTURE IN VIETNAM AND PROPER UNHCR MACHINERY HAD BEEN IMPORTANT FACTORS IN THE PRESIDENT'S DECISION AGAINST THE SC3 CONSENSUS. HE SAID THE RESETTLEMENT CENTRE AT HANOI WAS VERY LIMITED (THE MINISTER CONFIRMED THAT MR MAUDE WOULD BE ARGUING FOR IMPROVEMENT HERE). FUNSETH URGED THE VIRTUES OF OTHER CENTRES BEING ESTABLISHED, NOT LEAST IN HO CHI MINH CITY. WE DID OURSELVES HARM BY BEING SEEN TO TREAT ASYLUM SEEKERS ROUGHLY. WOOD POINTED OUT THIS REFLECTED OUR PROBLEMS, NOT OUR AIMS.

3. THE MINISTER ALSO RAISED VBPS WITH SOLOMON CASSISTANT

SOLOMON SAID HE SECRETARY, STATE DEPARTMENT) ON 21 FEBRUARY. WELCOMED OUR AGREEMENT WITH THE VIETNAMESE ON SPEEDING UP VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION. HE WOULD BE VISITING PEKING NEXT MONTH AND INTENDED TO PUT IT TO THE CHINESE THAT IT WAS NOT IN THEIR INTERESTS TO ALLOW THE FLOW OF ASYLUM SEEKERS INTO HONG KONG. HE EXPRESSED SOME SURPRISE THAT WE HAD NOT MADE THIS POINT MORE

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