GPS
175
PRIORITY
RECEIVED
REGISTRY No.52
16 MAY 1975
EN CLAIR
FM CANBERRA 150715Z
NXK 18/23
TOP COPY
86
UNCLASSIFIED
TO PRIORITY FCO TEL NO 433 OF 15 MAY REPEATED PRIORITY HONG KONG,
ROUTINE WELLINGTON AND SINGAPORE.
SAVING INFO WASHINGTON, OTTAWA, STOCKHOLM, COPENHAGEN, PEKING
. AND MANILA.
MYTELNO 429: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.
LAST
REF
69)
NEX!
REF.
1. IN REPLY TO PQ TODAY, MR WHITLAM SATD AUSTRALIAN-GOVERNMENT HAD
TOLD UNHCR IT WAS WILLING TO TAKE PART IN A PROGRAMME TO SETTLE
THOSE WHO HAD LEFT SOUTH VIETNAM. AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT HAD ALWAYS
OPERATED THROUGH UNHCR AND RELIED ON HIM IN PRESENT SITUATION.
AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT HAD APPROACHED UNHCR AND SECRETARY-GENERAL
OF UN ON 6 MAY TO URGE COORDINATED INTERNATIONAL ACTION FOR PLACE-
MENT OF REFUGEES IN AS MANY COUNTRIES AS POSSIBLE, AND SAYING
''AUSTRALIA WOULD BE WILLING TO PARTICIPATE ON A BASIS OF EQUALITY IN SUCH AN INTERNATIONAL EFFORT''. MR WHITLAM REPEATED THAT REFUGEE PROBLEM WAS VERY DIFFICULT, AND CLEARLY BEST SOLUTION WAS INTERNATIONAL EFFORT UNDER COORDINATING DIRECTION OF UNHCR.
HAD DISCUSSED MATTER WITH HEADS OF GOVERNMENT OF SINGAPORE, MALAYSIA, NEW ZEALAND, FIJI, BRITAIN AND US DURING RECENT VISITS
TO WASHINGTON AND KINGSTON,
FCO PLEASE PASS ALL SAVINGS
JAMES
[REPEATED AS REPEATED]
[COPIES SENT TO NO 10 DOWNING STREET]
HE
•
FILES HKIOD (4) NAM D
SEAD
SWPD
MVD
WED
DEF D
NEWS D
UND
CONS D
CONS EM UNIT RES D (AM SECT) (FE SECT)
PS
COPIES TO
MAJOR B G JOHNSON DS6 MOD
PS/LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS MR BLANKS DS11 MOD
PS/MR ENNALS PS/MISS LESTOR
PS/MR HATTERSLEY PS/PUS
MR WILFORD
MR MALE
MR EDMONDS
SIR D WATSON
MR LARMOUR MR HAWLEY
MR FITZGERALD HOME OFFICE MR R MACDOWALL HOME OFFICE MR WATTS COMMUNITY
PROGRAMME OFFICE, HOME OFFICE MR KIDD, HONG KONG
GOVERNMENT OFFICE