C 350
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO 0413507 JUNE 79
TO IMMEDIATE OTTAWA
TELEGRAM NUMBER 127 OF 4 JUNE
HKK 243/1
RAMLIVED IN RENGASTAY HO
IND
7 JUN1979
DESK OFFICE
N.
953
RA BR
INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG, WASHINGTON, UKMIS GENEVA, UKMIC NEW YORK INFO SAVING HANOI, MANILA, BANGKOK JAKARTA, SINGAPORE, KUALA LUMPUR, PARIS, MOSCOW, UKDEL BRUSSELS.
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
1
See983
CORTAZZI CALLED IN THE CANADIAN DEPUTY HIGH COMMISSIONER TOPAY TO EXPLAIN THE BACKGROUND TO THE PRIME MINISTER'S PROPOSAL FOR A SPECIAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEE 3:7 AT101 AD TO SEEK CANADIAN SUPPORT FOR OUR OBJECTIVES.
2.
CORTAZZI SAID THAT WE VALUED OUR VERY CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE CANADIANS ON THIS SUBJECT. WE WERE ASKING THE CANADIANS: (1) FOR SUPPORT AT THE UNITED NATIONS FOR THE PRIME MINISTER'S CALL FOR A SPECIAL CONFERENCE:
(11) FOR THEM TO APPLY ANY PRESSURE WHICH THEY COULD ON THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT EITHER DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY TO IMPROVE ITS HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD AND AT LEAST ENSURE THAT THE REFUGEE EXODUS WAS CONTROLLED. WE HAD APPROACHED THE RUSSIANS BOTH IN LONDON AND MOSCOW: COULD THEY DO THE SAME?
FOR THEIR GOOD OFFICES IN SEEKING FURTHER RESETTLEMENT PLACES, PARTICULARLY WITH GOVERNMENTS WITH WHOM THEY HAD CLOSE RELATIONS ESPECIALLY IN LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEN, AND
(IV) WITH GREAT RESPECT FOR EVERYTHING THE CANADIANS HAVE ALREADY DONE, FOR ANY FURTHER HELP THEY COULD GIVE IN ALLEVIATING THIS MAJOR CRISIS WHICH WAS HITTING HONG KONG PARTICULARLY HARD.
CONTAZZI THEN REHEARSED THE VIETNAMESE COVERNMENT'S POLICY OF DELIBERATE PERSECUTION ESPECIALLY OF THE ETHNIC CHINESE. WE UVDENSTOOD FROM A SENIOR VICTRANESE OFFICIAL SOURCE THAT THEY INTENDED TO гXPEL POST OF THEI? RCVAINTIG ETHNIC CHINESE COMMUNITY OF OVER 300,000. WE ALSO BELIEVES THAT UP TO TWO THIRDS OF THOSE LEAVING VIETNAM IN DATS FAILED TO REACH LAND. THE WORLD WAS FACING ONE OF THE VORST HUMASITARIAT DISASTERS SINCE THE SECOND ORLD WAR. OJLY A MAJOR INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE COULD MERT IT. THERE WERE 41,000 REFUGEES IN HONG KONG, ARRIVING AT OVER 1000 A DAY.
CONFIDENTIAL
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