CONFIDENTIAL
(Log
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London SW1A 2AH
29 December 1978
HKK 243/1
ས
Intel PA
5-3/8 29/12
3.
RECEIVED IN RESETY NO.
2 DEC 1973
DEBX OFFICE/ INDEX
REGISTRY
Action Taken
Sir Donald Hawley KCMG MBE KUALA LUMPUR
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400
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN MALAYSIA
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1. Thank you for your letters of 13 and 15 November about refugees from Vietnam in Malaysia; they were helpful to us in preparing for the UNHCR consultations in Geneva on 11 and 12 December in which the UK participated.
Mr Luard led our delegation to the meeting and you will have seen in Hansard his speech in the Adjournment Debate on 15 December.
2. I delayed a reply to your letters in the hope that there might be something definite to say about the admission to the UK of further groups of Vietnamese refugees (including from Malaysia). You will have seen from para 5.a of the brief for the UNHCR meeting (which was copied to you) that the Secretary of State asked the Home Secretary to consider accepting an additional intake of 1,500 "boat refugees" (500 each from Hong Kong, Malaysia and Thailand). The Home Secretary has not yet taken a decision, but the proposal is being examined urgently and sympathetically: there have to be detailed consultations not only with the Treasury but also with the voluntary agencies who would have to receive and help settle the refugees. We shall let you and all others concerned know as soon as a decision is reached.
3.
As reported in FCO tel No 453 to Kuala Lumpur, Ghazali Shafie called on Lord Goronwy-Roberts and on Mr Luard on 15 December. The records of these meetings have been copied to you separately.
Your
cc:
JP Tripp Esq CMG at Bangkok
Leonard
L C W Figg
JD Hennings Esq CMG at Singapore
JWD Margetson Esq at Hanoi
Sir Murray Maclehose GBE KCMG KCVO at Hong Kong PJ Woodfield Esq CB CBE, Home Office
SEAD
HK&GD MVD
CONFIDENTIAL