TNAG-0793-FCO40-997-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1978 — Page 118

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Mr Stimson

Mr Simpson-Orlebar

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RAEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51 2 1 NOV 1978

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UNHCR CONSULTATIONS ON INDO/CHINA: GENEVA TT/12 DECEMBER

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1. Mr Heidler telephoned me yesterday to say he had been discussing, with Mr Philip Goodhart MP (Con Bromley), the UNHCR conference on Indo/Chinese refugees. Mr Heidler asked whether, in preparation for the conference, someone in the FCO would focus on the problem of countries, such as Panama, Liberia and Liechtenstein, which had large merchant fleets operating in the South China Sea: he thought there were about eight such countries in all. He said it would be useful if FCO would do some research to establish (a) which were the countries involved and (b) what was the size of their fleets plying the South China Sea.

2.

He said it would be useful also if the UK delegation could be briefed to take an international lead at the conference in trying to find a solution, not only to the problem of the "boat people" but also to the problem of "land refugees" in the camps in Thailand. Regarding "boat refugees", he thought that the eight or so countries with large fleets should be urged, perhaps by the UK, to get together and come forward themselves with some kind of proposals to help solve the problem of responsibility for, and resettlement of, refugees rescued by their vessels.

3. I told Mr Heidler that we had indeed focused on the general problem and that our Mission in Geneva had already urged UNHCR to invite countries such as Panama and Liberia to the conference. I said we had been very disappointed to learn that it was not the High Commissioner's intention to invite them. We understood the UNHCR considered it would be premature to invite them since some further research on this particular problem was needed. So far as researching the shipping fleets of Liberia and Panama was concerned, I said I thought IMCO (who have been invited to the conference) would be in a better position than ourselves to do so. Mr Heidler asked to which UNHCR officer our Mission had spoken. I replied that it was to Mr Homann-Herimberg, the Director in charge of the consultations on Indo-China. Mr Heidler said he was "no good" and suggested he would himself telephone the Deputy High Commissioner immediately. I agreed it would be useful if he could

do so.

4. As to Mr Heidler's suggestion that the UK should take an international lead in finding solutions to the problem of "land refugees", I said that, while he would be aware that the UK had already accepted small numbers of refugees from camps in Thailand and elsewhere, their admittance to the UK was generally subject to having close connexions with this country. I reminded him of our open-ended commitment in respect of refugees rescued by UK registered vessels and of the recent influx from Taiwan, plus the numbers arriving here from the Philippines and Singapore (who had been rescued earlier by British vessels). I also mentioned our own concern for the grave situation in Hong Kong. I suggested

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