R 350
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO 111810Z JUNE 79
with HKK
HEE 243/1
08
1
TO PRIORITY CANBERRA
TELEGRAM NUMBER 220 OF 11 JUN
AND TO PRIORITY DELHI
INFO HONG KONG, WASHINGTON, UKMIS NEW YORK, UKMIS GENEVA INFO SAVING BANGKOK, JAKARTA, MANILA, KUALA LUMPUR, SINGAPORE, HANOI.
YOUR TELEGRAM NO 298 (NOT TO ALL): INDO-CHINA REFUGEES
OUR
1. MURRAY TOLD MOTT, AUSTRALIAN MINISTER, TO-DAY THAT OUR SIGHTS WERE SET ON A MEANINGFUL CONFERENCE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, THOUGH WE REALISED WALDHEIM'S NEED FOR UNHCR'S PRIOR CONSULTATIONS. OBJECTIVES WERE TO GET THE WORLD TO FACE UP TO THE PROBLEM IN TERMS OF RESETTLEMENT AND CASH SUPPORT FOR UNHCR AND TO CHECK THE INHUMANE POLICIES OF VIETNAM. HOWEVER OUR FIRST CONCERN WAS HONG KONG, WHERE THE SITUATION WAS NOW DESPERATE. FOR THIS REASON WE HAD THE EARNEST AND URGENT HOPE THAT AUSTRALIA WOULD INCREASE ITS INTAKE FROM HONG KONG WITHIN THE DECLARED QUOTA.
2.
ON THE CONFERENCE, MURRAY SAID THAT THE CONSTRAINTS IMPOSED ON UNHCR AS A NON-POLITICAL ORGANISATION FOR REFUGEE RELIEF AND RESETTLEMENT MIGHT RESTRICT HARTLING'S FIELD OF VISION IN HIS PRELIMINARY CONSULTATIONS. WE DOUBTED IN FACT WHETHER HE WAS IN A POSITION TO BRING WAVERING GOVERNMENTS TO A REALISATION OF THE POLITICAL AND HUMANITARIAN NEED TO RESOLVE WHAT WAS A WORLD PROBLEM. FOR THIS REASON WE HOPED THAT WALDHEIM WOULD KEEP THE ORGANISATION OF A CONFERENCE IN HIS OWN HANDS, AND WE THOUGHT HE NEEDED ENCOURAGEMENT AND SUPPORT. IF THE AUSTRALIANS COULD TELL WALDHEIM, AND SAY PUBLICLY, THAT THEY SUPPORTED A CONFERENCE, THIS WOULD HELP.
3. ON VIETNAMESE BEHAVIOUR, MURRAY THOUGHT THERE WAS NOW A REAL RISK OF THE VIETNAMESE USING THEIR MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH UNHCR TO FOOL THE WORLD. DRAWING ON HANOI TELEGRAM NO 166 AND UKMIS GENEVA TELEGRAM NO 189 (BOTH BEING REPEATED TELEGRAPHIC- ALLY) HE SAID THE VIETNAMESE WOULD ALMOST CERTAINLY USE THIS
CONFIDENTIAL
IVERY
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