TNAG-0792-FCO40-996-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1978 — Page 142

CONFIDENTIAL

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

London SW1A 2AH

HKK 243/1

177

Telephone 01-

233 8631

thiscussion/

RP Flower Esq

Head of Chancery

British High Commission

KUALA LUMPUR

HKK 243/1

HAVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51

11 SEP 1978

DESK OFFICER INDEX

RA

Your reference

Our reference

REGI TRY

Action Ten

CLE

8 September 1978

(173)

MEETING ON INDO-CHINESE REFUGEES: KUALA LUMPUR 20-21 SEPTEMBER

1. You will have seen Hong Kong telno 1056 of 2 September reporting the intention of the Americans, with UNHCR support, to convene a meeting in Kuala Lumpur to discuss the problem of Indo-Chinese refugees. I had a word with the High Commissioner yesterday about his letter of 25 July to Figg and also about the proposed meeting in Kuala Lumpur. He agreed to represent the TIK at the meeting.

2. You will have noted from Hong Kong's telegram under reference that the UK is invited "because of Hong Kong". We should not ourselves, therefore, expect to take a prominent role in the meeting (at any rate so far as/the admission of further groups of refugees into the UK is concerned) but it should provide a good opportunity for the representatives from Hong Kong to impress on all concerned the gravity of the refugee situation in the colony.

3.

Не

The American Embassy have not yet approached us on this but I suppose that, since the meeting has been convened to coincide with the visit to Malaysia of Mr Poul Hartling (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), the latter will himself be present during some, at least, of the proceedings. As you may know, Mr Hartling paid an official visit to the United Kingdom from 5-7 June this year when he was received by The Queen. also called on the Prime Minister and had discussions with the Secretary of State, with the Home Secretary and other Ministers. I attach an extract from the background brief, prepared for his call on FCO Ministers, which you may find helpful. I also attach a copy of the latest UNHCR annual report (Chapter V is the relevant one for your purposes) together with a note by UNHCR on the resettlement of refugees (paragraphs 14-19 concern South East Asia). As further background, you will no doubt find useful the Ambassador in Bangkok's despatch of 22 August (copied to you separately) about the problem of refugees in Thailand.

CONFIDENTIAL

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