Talks on ‘Boat People’ End Without Accord on Timing of Forced Return

GENEVA —  A 30-nation conference on Vietnamese “boat people” broke up in disarray Wednesday after U.S. and Vietnamese delegates balked at a compromise starting date for the forced repatriation to Vietnam of those denied refugee status.

The United States last week dropped its outright opposition to mandatory repatriation of Vietnamese who are found to be economic migrants. But it told the closed, U.N.-sponsored meeting here that the proposed date of July 1 is too early and said no one should have to return to Vietnam before Jan. 1, 1991, officials said.

Britain wanted deportations to begin at once--before the sailing season starts in March--to deter a further influx of boat people into the overflowing camps in Hong Kong, a British crown colony.

The Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) had tried to bridge the gap by suggesting a six-month delay in repatriation.

Chief British delegate Robin McLaren expressed disappointment at the failure to reach an international agreement that would have enabled the U.N. agency to monitor people sent back to Vietnam.

McLaren, speaking to journalists after the meeting, said Vietnamese officials told delegates that any internationally agreed program of forced repatriations should not begin before Oct. 1.