SPEECH BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH
AFFAIRS, THE RT HON THE LORD CARRINGTON, AT GENEVA ON FRIDAY 20 JULY 1979
I SHOULD LIKE FIRST TO EXPRESS MY GOVERNMENT'S GRATITUDE TO YOU, MR SECRETARY-GENERAL, FOR INVITING US HERE TODAY FOLLOWING MY PRIME MINISTER'S APPEAL ON 30 (THIRTY) MAY. I PAY TRIBUTE AS WELL TO THE ›
HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES, WHOSE WORK HAS HELPED US TO FOCUS
ON THE STARK REALITIES OF THIS UNPRECEDENTED CRISIS.
NOT IN THIS GENERATION HAVE SUCH VAST NUMBERS OF PEOPLE RISKED
DEATH AND DESTITUTION TO LEAVE THEIR COUNTRY IN THE HOPE OF
FINDING REFUGE ABROAD. YOU HAVE SEEN THE MISERY OF THOSE WHO ARE WAITING IN THAILAND AFTER CROSSING THE FRONTIERS OF LAOS
AND KAMPUCHEA IN THEIR TENS OF THOUSANDS. I HAVE JUST RETURNED FROM
HONG KONG, WHERE OVER SIXTY-SIX THOUSAND PEOPLE HAVE FOUND TEMPORARY SANCTUARY IN THAT TINY AND OVER-CROWDED TERRITORY AFTER PERILOUS JOURNEYS IN THEIR UNSEAWORTHY CRAFT.
WE CAN HAVE NO DOUBT ABOUT THE SCALE OF HUMAN SUFFERING INVOLVED. I HAVE SEEN IT FOR MYSELF. OUR AIMS AT THIS CONFERENCE MUST BE TO FIND WAYS TO ALLEVIATE THAT SUFFERING: FIRSTLY BY GETTING THE GOVERNMENT OF VIETNAM TO EXERCISE A HUMANE POLICY IN RESPECT OF ITS
OWN PEOPLE AND SECONDLY BY FINDING WAYS OF SHARING THROUGHOUT
THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY THE UNFAIR BURDEN WHICH IS NOW BEING
BORNE BY HONG KONG AND THE COUNTRIES OF SOUTH EAST ASIA, WE DO NOT
THINK THAT THIS PURPOSE CAN BE SERVED BY RAKING OVER PAST HISTORY.
/IT HAS, HOWEVER,