807
GAS 280
CONFIDENTIAL.
CONFIDENTAL
FM MOSCOW 301595Z MAY 79
IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 315 OF 23 MAY
HKK243/1
839
INFO UKMIS NEW YORK, UKMIS GENEVA, WASHIHECEIVED TASTIES FAN UND),5 IIKREP
BRUSSELS, HONG KONG, PEKING, HANOI, SINGAPORE, CANBERRA AND WELLINGTON INFO SAVING MANILA AND JAKARTA
YOUR TELNO 275: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
BANGKOK, KUAĻJULUMPUR,
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
PA
Acton
SUSLOV (FOREIGN MINISTRY) ASKED ME TO SEE HIM THIS
flas
AFTERNOON ON ANOTHER MATTER. ! THEREFORE TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO RAISE WITH HIM THE QUESTION OF THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEES. I SAID THAT I YNEW THAT THE LORD PRIVY SEAL HAD SUMMONED THE SOVIET AMBASSADOR IN ORDER TO TELL HIM OF THE GOVERNMENT'S SERIOUS CONCERN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. I DID NOT HAVE SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS TO RAISE IT WITH HIM MYSELF BUT WAS DOING SO BECAUSE I KNEW THAT IT WAS A MATTER OF CONSIDERABLE IMPORTANCE TO THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT, IT WAS, OF COURSE, IN THE FIRST INSTANCE AN INTERNAL VIETNAMESE MATTER, BUT VIENAM'S PRESENT POLICY WAS DOING HER OWN REPUTATION NO GOOD AND IT WAS POSSIBLE THAT A FRIENDLY WORD FROM THE SOVIET GOVERNMENT MIGHT NOT ONLY HELP TO RESOLVE A PROBLEM WHICH CONCERNED THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT, BUT MIGHT ALSO HELP VIETNAM TO AVOID DAMAGE TO ITS OWN INTERFSTS. SUSLOV COMMENTED ONLY THAT THE "POLITICAL ACCENT'' WAS IMPORTANT AND REFUSED TO EXPLAIN WHAT HE MEANT BY THIS. HE MAY HAVE HAD IN MIND THE WIDER CONTEXT OF BRITISH POLICY IN THE AREA, OR THE DIFFICULTY OF TALKING
TO THE VIETNAMESE ON AN ISSUE WHICH INVOLVES RELATIONS WITH CHINA AS WELL AS DELICATE MATTERS OF INTERNAL POLICY, OR BOTH.
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FCO PASS SAVING MANILA AND JAKARTA.
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SIR A DUFF
SIR A PARSONS
MR CORTAZZI MR LEAHY
MR MURRAY
HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE
MR BURLEIGH
HOME OFFICE
QUEEN ANNE'S GATE
MR BINT
HOME OFFICE
LONDON
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LUNAR HOUSE CROYDON
FIR V HOGEE
CONFIDENTAL
FAC ODM
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DEPARTMENTAL DECISIONĮ REPENTO AS PEQUENICO 70 OMER POSZA