Please Think First, Then Talk : Rep. Dornan’s refugee suggestion backfires in a big way

Rep. Robert K. Dornan (R-Garden Grove) can talk faster about more topics than just about anyone. But once in awhile, Dornan ought to think more before speaking. That was the case recently when he went public with a suggestion he had made in a letter to Secretary of State James A. Baker III and the emir of Kuwait--that as many as 100,000 Vietnamese refugees be sent from Southeast Asian camps to Kuwait as workers to help rebuild that war-torn country.

The State Department and Southeast Asian refugee officials say that, despite the lack of any official sanction for Dornan’s idea, desperate Vietnamese refugees are grasping at the hope they can find work in the tiny Persian Gulf country and escape their own country’s overwhelming problems. Unfortunately, most of these so-called “boat people” will probably end up in overcrowded camps in Hong Kong and elsewhere. Few are ever granted refugee status, so they must either remain in the camps or return home.

This sad situation was only exacerbated by Dornan’s March 15 letter to Baker, which Dornan publicized. A Voice of America broadcast gave the statement more credence, despite denials that any plan was in operation.

The proposal was denounced by one Hong Kong refugee official as “nonsense” and by a United Nations refugee official as “a vote-getting gimmick . . . (that) has ended up destabilizing Vietnam.” Dornan’s central Orange County district includes thousands of expatriate Vietnamese, who provide him with strong support.

The State Department is trying to scotch the rumors started by Dornan’s suggestion, but they seem to have a life of their own. For once, the loquacious Dornan seems almost dumbfounded by the reaction in Vietnam. Although he still believes his idea is a good one that could work, he said he would help get the word out that there was as yet no concrete plan. Unfortunately, his idea seems to have already raised false hopes among a desperate people.