790
CPS 1300
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
IM UKMIS GENEVA 3111272 MAY 79
TJ PRIORITY FCO
TELEGRAM NUMMER 173 OF 31 MAY 1979
IPO PRIORITY HONG KONG, WASHINGTON, LISBOLy
DANGKOK.
HKK 2431
PA
P/1.0. $1
TIFO SAVING UKMIS NEW YORK, KUALA LUMPUR LEIGAPORE, JAKARTA
AND MANILA.
851
INDO CHINESE REFUGEES
DESK 0.
MDEX
PA
*
1. I CALLED ON HARTLING, UN HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES, YESTERDAY. WE BEGAN WITH HIS VISIT TO CHINA. HE SAID THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT A HIGH COMMISSIONER HAD VISITED CHINA, AND HE INTERPRETED THE INVITATION AS A SIGN THAT THEY VERE DRAWING CLOSER TO THE UN. THERE HAD BEEN AMPLE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS REFUGEES, AND HE HAD FOUND THE CHINESE ATTITUDE POSITIVE. THE CHINESE RECKONED THAT THERE WERE NOW 290,328 VIETNAMESE REFUCEES (MOSTLY ETHNIC CHINESE) IN CHINA HE WAS
TAKEN TO VISIT KEFUGEE SETTLEMENTS (HE COULD NOT DESCRIBE THEM AS CAMPS) AND WAS STRUCK BY HOW DECENTLY THE REFUGEES WERE TREATED
ON THE SAME BASIS, AND OFTEN WORKING ALONGSIDE, THE INDICINOUS POPULATION. FROM HIS CONVERSATIONS WITH THE REFUGEES
HARTLING HAD BECOME AWARE OF THE FULL EXTENT OF THE PERSECUTION
OF THE ETHNIC CHINESE IN VIETNAM AND WAS NOW COMING TO THE
CONCLUSION THAT THE VIETNAMESE INTENDED TO EXPEL THEM ALL.(HE WAS GRATEFUL FOR THE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PROVIDED IN NOTES WHICH I GAVE HIM BASED ON HONG KONG TELS 669 AND 635) THE
$13 SITUATION WAS AKIN TO THE NAZI PERSECUTION OF THE JEWS IN THE
THIRTIES.
•
2. SPEAKING PERSONALLY HARTLING BELIEVED THAT ONE OF THE MAIN CAUSES FOR THE SUDDEN INCREASE IN THE OUTFLOW WAS THE VIETNAMESE
FEAL THAT THE CHINESE WOULD ATTACK AGAIN QUOTE TO TEACH THEM A SECOND LESSON UNQUOTE. THEY WERE THEREFORE DETERMINED TO PUSH OUT ALL ETHNIC CHINESE, WHOM THEY NOW RECARDED AS A DANGEROUS FIFTH COLUMN, FROM VIETNAM, LAOS AND KAMPUCHEA (WITNESS THE RECENT ARRIVALS OF ETHNIC CHINESE AT THE THAI BORDER). DE HAAN WAS AT PRESENT IN HANOI, AND WOULD BE RETURNING (VIA BANGKOK) AT THE END OF THE. WECK, BUT HARTLING WAS UNDER NO DELUSIONS THAT WHILST THE VIETNAMESE
WERE TALKING COOPERATIVELY TO UNIICR THEY WERE AT THE GAME TIME
ENGAGED IN RUTHLESS PERSECUTION AND EXPULSION
CONFIDENTIAL
3.