GRS 529
CONFIDENTIAL
HKK 243/1 MED IN REGISTRY NIT,983)
CONFIDENTIAL
# OTTAWA 0619502 JUN 79
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 192 OF 6 JUNE
JUN 279
A
N2
Be
INFO HONG KONG, WASHINGTON, UKMIS GENEVA AND UK11S NEW YORK INFO SAVING HANOI, HAMILA, BANGKOK, JAKARTA, SINGAPORE, KUALA LUMPUR, PARIS, MOSCOW, UKDEL BRUSSELS AND THE HAQUE.
1953
YOUR TELNO 127: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES..
1. WE SPOKE AGAIN TO MISS EDPLSTEIN (SEE OUR TELNO 198) WID SAID THAT THE NEW MINISTER WAS ALREADY SEIZED OF THE PROBLEM AND THE NEW HITENDED TO TAKE IT TO CABINET AS A MATTER OF PRIORITY. GOVERNMENT WAS SYMPATHETIC AND NIGHT ADOPT A HIGHER PROFILE THAN THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION. AT AN INTERDEPARTMENTAL MEETING OF OFFICIALS YESTERDAY IT HAD BEEN DECIDED:
(A) TO CALL IN THE VIETNAMESE AMBASSADOR AND PROTEST ABOUT HIS GOVERNMENT'S UNACCEPTABLE CONDUCT (SMI CLN)
(B) TO INITIATE A FRESH ROUND OF APPROACHES IN CAPITALS TO URGE GOVERNMENTS PARTICULARLY IN EUROPE AND SCANDINAVIA TO TAKE THEIR FULL SHARE IN PROVIDING RESETTLEMENT PLACES,
2,
M183 EDELSTEIN SAID THAT HARDY HAD REPORTED CORTAZZ1'3 REPRESENTATIONS FULLY. THE CANADIANS SHARED OUR ASSESSMENT OF THE MAGNITUDE OF THE PROBLEM, THE VIETHANESE GOVERNMENT WAS SYSTEMATICALLY DRIVING OUT THE CIANIC CHINESE. IN THE NORTH THE AUTHORITIES WERE CONDUCTING DOOR-TO-DOOR SEARCHES WARNING THE MINORITIES THAT UNLESS THEY LEFT THEY WOULD BE MOVED TO MOV ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ZONES,
A RECENT DUTCH REPORT HAD SHOWN THAT
A STATE OF REFUGEE QUOTE HYSTERIA UNQUOTE EXISTED IN THE SOUTH,
ALTHOUGH
IN 3. THE CANADIANS WERE INCREASING THEIR EFFORTS TO HELP. ADDITION TO THE ANNUAL QUOTA OF 5808 INDO-CHINESE REFUGEES ALREADY ANNOUNCED THEY WERE PROPOSING TO TAKE UP TO 2,590 MORE. THE PLAN HAD YET TO RECEIVE MINISTERIAL APPROVAL THEY WERE INITIATING ARRANGEMENTS TO TAKE 1000 OF THESE FROM HONG KONG BY OCTOBER, A FURTHER 15-28,000, MANY STILL INSIDE VIETNAM, VOULD BE ENTITLED TO ENTER CANADA UNDER THE FAMILY UNIFICATION SOIENE. CHURCH AND OTHER NOO SPONSORSHIP WOULD ACCOUNT FOR 2,509 MORE.
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