CRS 400
ONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL HKK 243/1
ни
LIVED IN REGISTRÝ NO. 51
INDO
- 7 JUN1979
DESK OFF
No
RC
Action
نا.
рус
1951
FM FCO 04185OZ JUN 79
TO IMMEDIATE COLOMBO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 80 OF 4 JUNE
INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG WASHINGTON UKMIS GENEVA
UKMIS NEW YORK
INFO SAVING HANOI MANILA BANGKOK JAKARTA SINGAPORE KUALA LUMPUR
PARIS MOSCOW UKREP BRUSSELS
VIETNAMESE REFUGEFS
!
1. CORTAZZI CALLED IN THE SRI LANKA HIGH COMMISSIONER
TODAY, TO EXPLAIN THE BACKGROUND TO THE PRIME MINISTER'S
PROPOSAL FOR A SPECIAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
ON THE REFUGEE SITUATION. CORTAZZI SAID THAT THE
CRISIS CAUSED BY THE EXODUS FROM VIETNAM WAS NOW
REACHING MAJOR PROPORTIONS. IT WAS ONE OF THE
VORST HUMANITARIAN DISASTERS SINCE THE LAST WAR.
THE VICTNAMESE PERSECUTION OF ADHERENTS OF THE PREVIOUS
SOUTH VIETNAMESE REGIME HAD WIDENED.
WE NOW BELIEVED THAT THEY INTENDED TO EXPEL THE BULK
OF THEIR ETHNIC CHINESE POPULATION OF OVER 300,000.
THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT WAS DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN
THIS TRADE IN HUMAN LIFE. WE BELIEVED THAT AS MANY
AS TWO THIRDS OF THOSE WHO LEFT FAILED TO REACH THEIR
DESTINATION. THE PRIORY FLOW WAS TO MALAYSIA AND THAILAND
SY
RUT OVER 1,000 A DAY WERE NOW REACHING HONG KONG, WHICH
HAD REACH SATURATION POINT. FORTY ONE THOUSAND REFUGEES
VERE AWAITING RESETTLEMENT FROM HONG KONG.
2. CORTAZZI SAID THAT BRITISH POLICY HAD TWO OBJECTIVES
TO CAUSE THE VIETNAMESE TO AMELIORATE THEIR POLICIES AND
BRING THE FLOW UNDER CONTROL AND TO ENCOURAGE OTHER COUNTRIES
TO DO MORE IN RESETTLING REFUGEES AND IN ASSISTING THE
UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER. BECAUSE OF SRI LANKA'S
PLACE IN THE NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT, AND BECAUSE OF THE
COMMONWEALTH LINK WE APPEALED TO HER TO TAKE A LEAD IN
RESPONDING TO THIS HUMANITARIAN CRISIS AND HELP TO END
THE WAY IN WHICH THE FLOW IS ORGANISED BY THE VIETNAMESE.
IWE
કર્યું
CONFIDENTIAL