1375
Indo-China:
[ LORDS }
[Lord Segal.] where the desks were occupied by former Vietnam staff generals being indoctrinated in the ideals of communism: another so called triumph for this liberation of the land by the Viet Cong.
Perhaps it is not widely known-and it ought to be more widely known--that Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, was formerly a city of more than 2 million inhabitants, one of the finest, most beautiful cities in the Far East, even after the ravages of more than 20 years of war had left their scars. The most industrious part of this vast city of two millon inhabitants was its Chinese quarter. These Chinese were not communists, rather the reverse. They were mostly small traders or honest labourers wishing
only to be left with their families to run their small businesses or pursue their occupations in peace. South Vietnam in those days, despite the war, was a beautiful, fertile country, one of the great rice growing areas of the world.
The Vietnamese had a great culture of their own, with an art and literature dating back for centuries, a culture of which any country might be proud. Now millions of inhabitants long to escape, seeking a refuge anywhere beyond its shores. Here I must pay tribute to what has been done in this country to give refuge to these unfortunate people. But in admitting something like 3,000 of these refugees- double the number that we have accepted only recently-I feel that we have not done nearly enough. Will my noble friend, when he comes to reply, inform the House how
many refugees from Indo-China have been received by France? I recall vividly stopping at Charles de Gaulle Airport outside Paris when plane- loads of these refugees had already arrived: the look of relief on their faces, some of them having had to wait between 12 and 14 hours until the voluntary services came to take them away to reception centres, the women and children huddled together but with a happy expression on their faces at having left Vietnam.
How many of these refugees from Indo-China have been received by Australia, and even by Hong Kong with its total population of only four million people crowded into a tiny, over-populated area? Of course, I cannot expect my noble'
|
1376
Refugee Problem friend to give us all these figures right now off the cuff; but perhaps later it may be of interest to others than myself to know what figures of refugees from Indo-China have been received into other countries. Why I am so desperately anxious for far more refugees from Indo-China being admitted into this country is not only on urgent, humanitarian grounds, but because they are a most diligent, honest, hard working people who will more than repay any helping hand that we can hold out to them.
I have often wondered why so many people from the Philippines are employed in this country on domestic work, especi- ally in our hard-pressed hospitals. Their plight is not so urgent or so desperate as from poverty, not from physical or that of the Vietnamese. They are refugees
political persecution. Surely we have our priorities of compassion a little out of context. Can my noble friend quote the number of Philippine nationals who have been granted permits to work in this country? How many are in the hotel and catering trades, in domestic work or working as hospital ancilliaries? On every hand we see advertisements for Filipino staff seeking domestic work in this country. There are even employment agencies catering specifically for Filipino "immi- grants. Their work varies a great deal in efficiency, and many have proved to be indifferent workers, who may have found it difficult to adjust themselves to working conditions in this country.
The situation is totally different with the refugees from Indo-China. They are desperate to find work in this country,
as
in any other country. They will prove themselves a steady, hard-working labour force, especially if recruited to work in our hospitals, where I am sure they would never go on strike. Can we not admit into our population of over 50 million at least 10,000 of these un- fortunate people? It would be a bold, merciful, humanitarian gesture, even if it only touched the tip of the iceberg. Especially, it would be a gesture on the part of our Labour Government, and one which would pay handsome dividends. It would be a gesture that I am sure we would never regret. On the contrary, they would return our confidence by loyal, diligent and hardworking service and they would prove a great asset to our community.