Registry

No.

SECURITY C. IFICATION

Top Secret,

Secret.

Confidential.

Restricted.

Unclassified.

PRIVACY MARKING

In Confidence!

KONFIDENTIAL

DRAFT STATEMENT

To: -

Type 1 +

From

Telephone No. Ext.

Department

DSR 11

1

:

STATEMENT ON INDO-CHINESE REFUGEES TO BE MADE BY THE RT HON- THE LORD CARRINGTON, SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS, IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS ON THURSDAY 12 JULY

With the leave of the House, I will make a statement on the Indo-China refugee problem. Noble Lords/Hon Members] will

be aware of the deep concern with which the Government has

viewed the rapid deterioration of the refugee situation in

South East Asia over recent weeks. The Secretary-General of

the United Nations, Dr Waldheim, has now convened a special

international meeting in Geneva on 20 and 21 July to deal

with the problem. The Government welcomes this move, which

was originally proposed by My Rt Hon Friend the Prime

Minister. We have participated fully in the preliminary

consultations which Dr Waldheim asked the United Nations

High Commissioner for Refugees, Mr Hartling, to undertake

on his behalf.

Mr Hartling has placed the highest emphasis on the burden.

which the flood of refugees from Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos

is imposing on others in the region, and has made it clear

that he believes that this burden can only be relieved by a

major and genuinely international effort. The Government

agrees with that conclusion. They also believe that it is

imperative for the Government of Vietnam to change their

/callous

Dd 0532000 800M 5/78 HMSO Bracknell

t

CONFIDENTIAL

7

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