CONFIDENTIAL
(b) to increase the resettlement places
on offer, by identifying more countries
prepared to accept refugees and by persuading
other countries who already take refugees
to take more, thereby relieving the pressure
on HMG to admit refugees picked up at sea by
British vessels.
4.
Whether or not resort to the Security Council
contributes to either of these aims, we, need also to
consider other consequences.
Advantages
5. A debate on the subject in the Security Council
should be feasible: inscription of an item requires
nine affirmative votes but is not subject to the
veto. (A resolution could not, however, be effective
unless at least nine affirmative votes were still
A
Kadan
available this would depend on the text-and no veto).
6. It would be one way of putting pressure on the
Vietnamese Government, and there are very few others
available. However indifferent Vietnam might be,
it would embarrass some of her traditional
supporters, which would be useful in other contexts.
7.
Anything which looks like activity, in the face
of such a grave situation, has domestic political
advantages.
/Disadvantages
...