- CPS 397
EN CLAIR
FM VILA 2406W+Z
MRK 243/1
RALEIVED IN REGISTAL NO. SI 2 6 JAN1979
DESK OF VA
INDEX
PA
230
UNCLASSIFIED
No
TO PRIORITY CANBERRA TELNO C01 OF 24 JANUARY 1979
AND REPEATED TO FRIORITY FCO PARIS WELLINGTON MANILA HONG KONG
SINGAPORE KUALA LUMPUR
113
CANBERRA TELNO 3 TO HONG KONG (NOT TO ALL): INDO CHINESE
REFUGEES
1.
FOLLOWING IS TEXT OF PRESS RELEASE TELEXED 23 JANUARY TO
AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATED PRESS AND REUTERS LONDON. WE HAVE WRITTEN
THIS AS FROM THE INFORMATION OFFICER IN THIS RESIDENCY (WHO
UNTIL HE LEFT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MONTH WAS STRINGER FOR
ASSOCIATED PRESS). IT WOULD OF COURSE HAVE BEEN BETTER IF IT
CAME FROM WITHIN THE NEW HEBRIDES GOVERNMENT, BUT THEIR INFORMATION
DE FARRTMENT IS NOT YET IN FULL OPERATION.
TEXT BEGINS:-
INDO-CHINESE REFUGEES AND THE NEW HEBRIDES
THE TRAGEDY OF THE 2,300 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES ON THE FREIGHTER
''TUNG HAN' HAS CAUGHT THE SYMPATHY OF THE WHOLE WORLD. BUT THERE
IS NO HAVEN FOR THEM IN THE NEW HEBRIDES.
RECENT REPORTS OF AN OFFER BY A FRIVATE INDIVIDUAL TO SETTLE THE
REFUGEES ON THE NEW HEBRIDEAN ISLAND OF MAEWO HAVE BROUGHT A
SHARP RESPONSE FROM THE NEW HEBRIDES GOVERNMENT. THE CHIEF
MINISTER, FATHER LEYMANG, HAD MADE IT CLEAR THAT THE GOVERNMENT
HAVE RECEIVED NO OFFICIAL APPROACHES ON THE SUBJECT. NOR COULD THEY
SUFFORT THE IDEA OR, MAKE AN OFFER ON THIER OWN ACCOUNT. FATHER
WALTER LINI, THE DEPUTY CHIEF MINISTER AND HEAD OF THE OTHER MAIN
PARTY OF THE GOVERNMENT COALITION, HAS SPOKEN OUT EVEN MORE STRONGLY,
AS HAVE THE MAEWO COUNCIL OF CHIEFS WHO ACTUALLY LIVE ON THE
PROFOSED ISLAND HAVEN. IN A SPEECH ON RADIO NEW HEBRIDES FATHER
WALTER SAID SUCH A DECISION MADE BY A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC COULD CAUSE DISUNITY AMONG THE PEOPLE OF THE NEW HEBRIDES AND-
/MIGHT DISRUPT
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