PS/Mr Luard
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RECENLO LI MIGISTRY 113. 51
PS/Lord Goronwy Roberts
PS
cc PS/PUS
Neheren
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(We can onfely omit the bits on Vietnamese refugees
from or briefing for the Cortazzi)
Mr Cortazzi
kr Mr Weir
4 DEC 1973
INDEX
PA
stion on Mr Figg
lah
CLE
UND SEAD
INDO-CHINESE REFUGEES
1.
W. Chantill
HKGD
FED
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MVD
News D OID
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A
By agreement with Mr Weir I am putting forward
UN Department's submission of 28 November, below. As I see it,
the situation is as follows:-
(a) The burden of Indo-Chinese (now mostly Vietnamese) refugees is more than Thailand and Malaysia can handle; and we recognise - eg in the EEC/ASEAN Joint Declaration that more must be done internationally.
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(b) We need to decide our policy for the meeting which the UN High
Commissioner for Refugees has called in Geneva on 11/12 December; and in view of our overall policy towards ASEAN
countries, and for general humanitarian reasons, our attitude should be as positive as possible.
(c) UNHCR, Malaysia and Thailand want other countries to take more
refugees for permanent settlement. The generous US offer to take another 21,000 announced yesterday, will create expectations that other countries will also make offers.
(d) The Secretary of State has told the Malaysian and Thai Foreign
Ministers within the last week in London that our first obli- gation is to UKPHS and dependents of existing immigrants from the Sub-Continent, and to Hong Kong (which holds 4,000 Vietnamese with little prospect of resettlement). to see if we can do more.
But we need
(e) The Home Office has not replied to Lord Goronwy-Roberts'
request of 5 October for the UK to take 500 more Vietnamese
largely from Hong Kong. We should now subsume this in a fresh request, I suggest from the Secretary of State to the Home Secretary, to accept 500 refugees each from Hong Kong, Malaysia
and Thailand
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