GENEVA : ‘Boat People’ Talks

Twenty-nine nations concerned with the problem of Vietnamese boat people reconvene in the Swiss city Monday in an effort to thrash out their differences over the issue of “involuntary repatriation.”

Western countries and the Southeast Asian nations decided a year ago to weed out so-called economic migrants from genuine political refugees, but they never agreed what should be done with those screened out. Britain and the Southeast Asian nations want to send the economic migrants back to Vietnam, but the United States and Vietnam both oppose that approach.

Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Hong Kong are all reluctant to provide temporary asylum for the boat people unless Washington reverses its stand.