TNAG-0880-FCO40-1090-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 153

ADVANCES

BOAT FEOPLE 5

15.

P3

POND GORONWY ROBERTS

PS/ER LUAFO

PS/PUS

SIK A DUFF

RECORTAL

KR WEIR

HD/UND

277

HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE

KR BURLEIGH

LONDON

HOME CRVICE QUEEN ANNE'S GATE

ER BIRT

HOD OFFICE

LUNAR HOUSE CROYDON

HD/BGD

HD/KVD

BD/NEWS DEPT

HID/SEAD

MR MURRAY

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HANOI 313728Z JAN 79

TO RTHE FOO

TEL10 46 OF 31 JAN

AND UKMES GENEVA, HONG

PA

A 10. 51

Mv

HKK 243/1

RELIVO NA..

- 2 FEB 1979

1.:

INDL

No

17872

KONG, WASHINGTON, BAVG (OK, KUALA LUMPUR, CANBERRA, MATILA AND SINGAPORE.

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES

XYTELNO 26.

131

1.JVHCR REP, ANDERS JOHNGSON, HAD TOLD ME THAT ON

THE BASIS OF DISCUSSIONS HE HAD WITH SENIOR MEMBERS OF THE VIETNAMESE GOVT ON 26 JAN, HE BELIEVES VIETNAM NOW WANTS TO STOP THE ILLEGAL EXODUS OF BOAT AND SHIP REFUGEES, AND TO

REPLACE IT BY A SYSTEM OF AGREED QUOTAS FOR LEGAL EMIGRANTS TO

RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES.HE ENVISAGES THAT SUCH A SCHEME MIGHT

BE ARRANGED THROUGH THE GOOD OFFICES OF UNHCR, THE CONSIDERS VIETNAM UNDERSTANDS THE INTERNATIONAL SITUATION SUFFICIENTLY

WELL VOT TO PRESS FOR UNREALISTIC QUOTAS. HE MENTIONED TO ME A FIGURE OF ONE OR TWO THOUSAND A MONTH OVER TWO YEARS AG BEING THE SORT OF FIGURE HE HAS 13 MIND. HE THOUGHT THAT FROM VIETNAM'S POINT OF VIEW SUCH A FIGURE MIGHT BE

SUFFICIENT TO PREVENT INTOLERABLE PRESSURES FOR EMIGRATION BUILDING UP IN THE SOUTH, AND ADDED THAT, BEFORE ANY AGŘEEU QUOTA SCHEME CO COME INTO EFFECT, IT WO BE NECESSARY TO FIND RESETTLEMENT PLACES FOR VIETNAMESE "REFUGEES FOR WHOM UNHCR

WAS ALREADY RESPONSIBLE.

2.JOHNSSON'S DISCUSSIONS WITH THE VIETNAMESE ARE AT A

VERY EARLY STAGE.HE ENVISAGES THE POSSIBILITY OF A TEAM COMING FROM GENEVA, POSSIBLY IN THE NEAR FUTURE, TO CAPRY THE MATTER