TNAG-0878-FCO40-1088-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 74

THERE WERE 53,869 VIETNAMESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IN THE COUNTRY OF WHOM 30,962 WERE IN TRENGGANU. MALAYSIA WAS WILLING TO ACCEPT THEM FOR THE TIME BEING ON HUMANITARIAN GROUNDS BUT A SOLUTION

MUST BE FOUND BY EVERY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT IMMIGRANT EVENTUALLY

LEAVING THE COUNTRY. THAT WAS WHY MALAYSIA HAD CALLED FOR THE

SETTING UP OF A PROCESSING CENTRE ON AN ISLAND SOMEWHERE ELSE.

UNQUOTE.

3. WE HOPE TO OBTAIN OFFICIAL COMMENT THIS AFTERNOON AND WILL REPORT FURTHER.

HAWLEY

FILES IND

& GD

PS

PS/LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS PS/MR LUARD

PS/PUS

SEAD

FED

SAD

SIR A DUFF

EID (E)

MR CORTAZZI

FUSD

MR WEIR

CID

IFD

NEWS D MID

MR MURRAY

COPIES TO

HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON

MR BURLEIGH HOME OFFICE

MR BIRT

QUEEN ANNE'S GATE HOME OFFICE

LUNAR HOUSE CROYDON