681
CONFIDENTIAL
OR 369
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO 241933Z MAY 79
TO PRIORITY HONG KONG
TELEGRAM NUMBER 322 OF 24 MAY
HKK 2431
OPP
RECEIVE $5
738
DESK
MIDEX
по
INFO PRIORITY WASHINGTON UKMIS GENEVA TOKYO NO
FOR GOVERNOR FROM CORTAZZI.
YOUR TELNO 631 (NOT TO TOKYO): VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.
315 A315
1. THE SECRETARY OF STATE RAISED THIS ISSUE WITH VANCE, KENTIONING
IN PARTICULAR THE PROBLEMS CREATED FOR HONG KONG BY THE PRESENCE
OF 30,000 REFUGEES, VANCE SAID THAT THE UNITED STATES WERE NOW
ACCEPTING 7,000 REFUGEES A MONTH, THIS WAS A GREAT DEAL AND THERE WAS A LIMIT TO HOW FAR THEY COULD GO. HE THOUGHT THE JAPANESE
OUGHT TO DO MORE, AT LEAST FINANCIALLY, BUT DOUBTED WHETHER OTHER COUNTRIES COULD BE BROUGHT TO GIVE MUCH HELP, THE US BELIEVED THAT
THE WEST SHOULD SUPPORT THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN ISLAND PROCESSING
CENTRE AND HOPED THAT ALL WOULD CONTINUE TO WORK WITH UNHCR, BUT
SOME WAY WOULD HAVE TO BE FOUND TO REGULATE THE OUTFLOW FROM
VIETNAM AND IT WOULD BE NECESSARY TO TALK DIRECT TO THE VIETNAMESE
ABOUT THIS. THE JAPANESE HAD UNDERTAKEN TO DO SO. THEY HAD ALREADY
THREATENED TO CUT OFF AID TO VIETNAM IF SOVIET BASES WERE EXPANDED
AND THE US HAD NOW URGED THEM TO EXTEND THIS THREAT TO COVER THE
REFUGEE PROBLEM.
2. THE SECRETARY OF STATE ALSO DISCUSSED VIETNAMESE REFUGEES WITH
THE JAPANESE FOREIGN MINISTER, WHOM HE SAW ON 22 MAY, HE DESCRIBED THE PROBLEM AS APPALLING, MENTIONED THE 30,000 IN HONG KONG, AND ASKED WHAT HELP THE JAPANESE COULD GIVE, SONODA CONCEDED THAT JAPANESE POLICIES HAD NOT BEEN SUFFICIENTLY RESPONSIVE TO THE
CLAIMS MADE ON JAPAN BY THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY AND SAID THAT NEW POLICIES WERE NEEDED. JAPAN HAD ALREADY MADE A BIG CONTRIBUTION TO THE UNHCR'S SPECIAL FUND AND INTENDED TO DO MORE. THEY HAD URGED THE VIETNAMESE TO CONDUCT AN ORDERLY AND RESTRICTED EMIGRATION POLICY. THEY HAD ALSO BROUGHT ABOUT A DRAMATIC CHANGE IN THEIR RESETTLEMENT POLICY BY ACCEPTING 500 REFUGEES. THEY WOULD DO MORE, AND WOULD RELAX THEIR RESETTLEMENT PROCEDURE. I ADDITION THEY WOULD HELP TO ESTABLISH AND SUPPORT PROCESSING CENTRES IN
INDONESIA AND THE PHILIPPINES.
CONFIDENTIAL
13