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4. OFFICIALS HAD CONSIDERED APPROACHING THE RUSSIANS BUT SOME
WHEN THE INDONESIANS DEPARTMENTS DOUBTED THE VALUE OF DOING SO.
HAD CALLED IN THE RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR HE HAD SAID THAT THE ETHNIC CHINESE THREATENED THE SECURITY OF THE ENTIRE REGION AND SHOULD BE COMPLETELY REMOVED. TO BE EFFECTIVE A DEMARCHE TO THE RUSSIANS SHOULD PROBABLY BE MADE BY THE AMERICANS.
5. ON THE PROPOSAL FOR A UN CONFERENCE, THE CANADIANS HAVE RESERVATIONS. ALTHOUGH SYMPATHETIC IN PRINCIPLE THEY
ARE CONCERNED LEST IT SHOULD DEGENERATE INTO A COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE SLANGING MATCH. THE RAISON D'ETRE OF SUCH A CONFERENCE SHOULD BE THE THREAT TO THE STABILITY OF THE WIOLE REGION. A CONFERENCE WHICH DEALT SOLELY WITH REFUGEES MIGHT BE TREATED BY THE REST OF THE WORLD AS A PROBLEM FOR THE AFFLUENT WEST.
6.
FINALLY MISS EDELSTEIN EMPHASISED THAT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE TRADITIONAL IMMIGRANT COUNTRIES TO SHOULDER THE WHOLE BURDEN. CANADA UNDERSTOOD CUR DOMESTIC PROBLEMS, BUT WE SHOULD MAKE A DISTINCTION BETWEEN REGULAR IMMIGRATION AND THE PLIGHT OF REFUGEES. CANADA WAS NO BETTER EQUIPPED THAN THE UK TO COPE WITH AN INFLUX ON THIS SCALE. ALL THE REFUGEES CAME TO THE CITIES WHERE THERE WAS ALREADY HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT. THE CANADIANS HOPED WE COULD DO MORE OURSELVES AND WOULD PUT PRESSURE ON OUR EEC PARTNERS TO DO SO TOO.
FCO PASS SAVING HANOI, MANILA, BANGKOK, JAKARTA, SINGAPORE, KUALA LUMPUR, PARIS, MOSCOW, UKDEL BRUSSELS AND THE HAGUE. Food
FILES
SEAD HK & GD
UND
FED
EESD
N AM D SAD EID (E)
PS P3/LPS PS/MR HURD PS/MR BLAKER PS/PUS
SIR A DUFF SIR A PARSONS MR CORTAZZI MR LEAHY
MR MURRAY
C COPIES SENT TO NEIO DOWNING ST] [Repeated as Requested] AS REQUESTED]
COPIES TO:
HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE
MR BURLEIGH
(MR WOODFIELD
(MR BIRT
LONDON
HOME OFFICE
QUEEN ANNE'S GATE
MR HILLARY
HOME OFFICE
LUNAR HOUSE CROYDON
PUSD
OLD
IPD
NEWS DEPT
MVD
MR V MCGEE FAO ODA
2
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