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The Committee wishes to urge H. M. Government as a token gesture to
accept into this country a limited group of Indo-Chinese refugees from Thailand who, if they had a reasonable knowledge of English and sufficient educational background, could benefit from further training with the help of bothGovernment and voluntary organisations. We have in mind single people of student age,
rather than children or those with families, as they are more likely to adapt
themselves to new conditions and surroundings. We realise that the final
decision would rest with the Home Secretary but we feel that any proposal calculated, however slightly, to ease the refugee situation in Thailand (which, if unresolved, will affect the country's internal stability) will be of interest
to the Foreign Office,
Recent reports have reached us that refugees are still leaving the coasts
of Vietnam by small boats in considerable numbers. Many are lost at sea, while others are sometimes refused permission to land in Bangkok, Singapore and elsewhere The voluntary agencies wondered whether it would be possible for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to urge the Governments concerned to offer at any rate temporary shelter to these unfortunate people until their future could be sorted out.
The Committee expressed the hope that, in your consideration of this appeal from the voluntary agencies, you could bear in mind the need to help Thailand - a country with which the United Kingdom has traditional ties of friendship to deal with an acute problem which none of her neighbours can help her to overcome. We would also urge that, in general, very sympathetic consideration be given to the needs of the Indo-Chinese refugees themselves, who, after years of war, should be helped in every way possible to settle in a new life.
I should be happy to bring a few of our members to discuss this question with you further if you think this would be useful.
Evan Luard, Esq., 11.P.,
Minister of State,
ист
Suces sincerely
for Com
Foreign and Commonwealth Office,
King Charles Street,
"hitehall, S.W.1.
Zieringen tausti
Chairman, Asia Committee
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