CONFIDENTIAL
FM HANDI 1667882 FEB 79
CONFIDENTIAL
TO ROUTINE FCO TELNO 73 OF 16/2
AND IS GENEVA, HONG KONG, WASHINGTON, BANGKOK, KUALA
הוא
LUMPUR, CANBERRA MANILA AND SINGAPORE. MYTELNO 46.VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.
390A
HISK RETLIVED IN REGISTRY DO. 51
INDEX
19 FEB 1979
فريق
1.UNHCR REP ANDERS JOHNSSON WHO HAS JUST RETURNED FROM "CONSUL TATIONS IN GENEVA, HAS TOLD ME THAT A UNHCR DELEGATION, LED SY DE HAAN WILL VISIT VIETNAM FROM 26 FEBRUARY TO MARCH. APPROACHES TO MANY COUNTRIES TO SEE HOW MANY VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
MIGHT BE ACCEPTED UNDER FAMILY REUNIFICATION SCHEMES OR FOR
RESETTLEMENT HAD MET A POSITIVE RESPONSE.ARMED WITH THIS,
DE HAAN WD SEE WHETHER HE COULD REACH AGREEMENT WITH VIET-
NAMESE AS OUTLINED IN TUR.
2.JOHNSSON SAID THAT HE WAS MORE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT CHANCES OF
AGREEMENT SINCE WE HAD LAST SPOKEN, ALTHOUGH HE THOUGHT THAT
VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES MIGHT STILL BE DIVIDED ON ADVANTAGES
TO THEM. REMINDED HIM THAT SINCE WE HAD LAST SPOKEN THE
SKYLUCK HAD BROUGHT 3,000 REFUGEES TO HONG KONG. IT SEEMED TO ME THAT UNTILAN AGREEMENT HAD ACTUALLY BEEN REACHED, VIETNAM
WD CONTINUE TO SEND SUCH SHIPS IF THERE SEEMED A REASONABLE
POSSIBILTY THAT SUCH REFUGEES WD BE ACCEPTED. JOHSSON AGREED.
3.HE MADE THE INTERESTING COMMENT THAT HE AMAZED THAT SOME COUNTRIES, PARTICULARLY THE US, WERE STILL PURSUING THE IDEA OF AN ISLAND TO BE USED AS A REFUGEE CAMP PENDING RESETTLEMENT. HE THOUGHT THAT, IF IT WERE EVER AGREED, SUCH AN ISLAND WOULD ENCOURAGE THE EXODUS OF EVEN LARGER NUMBERS OF REFUGEES: IT
WD BECOME A DUMPING GROUND OF WHICH VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES
WD TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE.
FCO PASS.
MARGETSON
FILES
SEAD UND
REPEATED
AS REQUESTED]
COPIES TO
HONG HONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE
PS
HK & GD
FED
SAD
EID (E)
PUSD
OID
IPD
NEWS D MVD
PS/LORD GORONWY
ROBERTS
MR BURLEIGH
PS/MR LUARD
PS/PUS
SIR A DUFF
MR CORTAZZI
MR LEAHY
MR MURRAY
SIR A PARSONS
HOME OFFICE
QUEEN ANNE'S GATE
MR BIRT
HOME OFFICE
LUNAR HOUSE
CROYDON
CONFIDENTIAL
LONDON