Miss F E Elliott
KESINTCTED
2
9 November 1979
views on our attitude towards a possible common statement on the item and/or a common explanation of vote on the Thai resolution.
Yours sincerely.
Pauline Stanley
for RJ S Edis
*
.cc:
DR Snoxell Esq UKMis GENEVA
Enc
TCS Stitt Esq SEAD FCO
1 mg
P.S.
The report of the Geneva Conference has just come out and enclose a copy.
P.P.S. Since I dictated the above I have spoken to the Australians. Their preliminary review of the Thai resolution (a revised copy of which has just come to hand and I enclose), is that it is biased in favour of the land people rather than the boat people. They are concerned about this, including in the context of the danger of the floodgates being opened by Vietnam again. They are anxious in view of their geographical proximity to the area, as presumably we are in relation to Hong Kong, that there should be no increase in the number of boat refugees. They therefore see it as important to keep up the pressure on Vietnam in the resolution. They also think that the Spring ECOSOC would be a more realistic date for the report called for in the last operative paragraph of the Thai resolution to be available. Finally, they mentioned that without pughine out the boat (1), they expected to make some political references in their speech under this item.
The Canadians are also expected to make political references.
RESTRICTED