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Mr Murray
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RELEIVIÐ VE KONDISY NO. 57
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MESSAGE TO THE PRIME MINISTER FROM THE UN SECRETARY-GENERAL: INDO-CHINA REFUGEES
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1
The UN Secretary-General has sent a telegram to the Prime
Minister (and, according to the UNHCR representative in London,
to 51 other Heads of Government) appealing for:
(a)
(b)
increased resettlement offers for Indo-China refugees
over and above those already announced by Governments;
increased financial support for the UNHCR's operations
in South East Asia.
2 I submit a draft reply, together with a draft covering letter
from Mr Wall to Mr Cartledge at No 10, which the Prime Minister
has requested this afternoon. What Dr Waldheim would most Like
to receive in answer to his message would be a British offer of
additional resettlement places for Indo-China refugees; but it is
impossible to propose this, in advance of the Cabinet's discussion
of the whole question on 31 May. Instead, the draft reply
concentrates (on lines discussed at the Secretary of State's
meeting this afternoon) on urging the Secretary-General to act
particularly with those governments which have so far made little
or no contribution. It points the way to further multilateral
discussion of the problem, but stops short of suggesting a meeting
of the Security Council (which I do not believe would be the right
forum).
3
With regard to financial assistance for the UNHCR, ODA officials have tentatively earmarked an additional contribution
to the UNHCR general programme for 1979 of £1.25m (the UK has already pledged £3.5m for that programme), but have not yet submitted
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