TNAG-0881-FCO40-1091-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 65

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Indo-China:

[14 FEBRUARY 1979]

Refugee Problem

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crops does not bring about a sizeable! that was it. A policy which settles small

fall in the prices at which it is sold, in which case they will be running faster and faster to stay in the same place.

a

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Here we touch on the whole question of single commodity agreements versus common fund. In view of the fact that the whole of the Third World unanimously wants a common fund, I think we should satisfy ourselves as to its management and application again, and then seriously reconsider whether we cannot agree to do it in some form or another. As to the increase in productive capacity in rural employment, I do not think we have sufficiently considered the link between agricultural advance, rural stability and earning power in the ASEAN group and our own industrial and com- mercial interests.

There are, I believe, 250 million people in ASEAN. Their incomes are rising by, I think, over 4 per cent. GNP per annum. This is a huge market and one which we and Europe cannot afford to neglect. Thailand is threatened and, if we do not look out, that threat will threaten the whole of ASEAN. I do not want to prolong or broaden the debate; we have had a long day already, but I cannot resist pointing out one point in that context. I understand from the Press that we have recently lost an outlet for a good deal of our armaments manufacture. If the Thais make a reasonable proposition to us, I would remind the Government that a man carrying a sword is less likely to be attacked than a man carrying a stick, and I do not think we should be un- reasonable in replying to any request they make.

This is an urgent matter; the economic matter is urgent, too. I will truncate what I have to say further but not to the exclusion of a plea that we may now consider again the numbers of refugees who may come into this country. One of the voluntary agencies at least has said off the record that they think they could place 5,000 themselves if they had the financial resources to do it, to support their reception centres. I would remind your Lordships that when the first pub- licity came to us about the boat people and their crisis, one of the first offers of housing came from Birmingham. If any- thing was calculated to scotch the fear that there may be a racial problem here,

groups large enough to give them security together, small enough to avoid a ghetto mentality, seems to be the least we can do.

There is another aspect of this to which I think the noble Lord, Lord Geddes, may refer.

But, in case he does not, I would refer to the suggestion now widely applauded in the Far East that, since the pressure on the countries of first asylum is becoming intolerable and dangerous and there is no prospect of catching up with the backlog of refugees for a number of years, the United Nations or an agency acting for it should obtain an island of its own and that the present refugee camps could become staging posts to that camp.

That has obvious dangers. If the journey out is made too comfortable and attractive, the problem is enormously increased. Your Lordships may not quite have grasped the implications of what I said about the ethnic factor in Vietnam. There are between 1} million and 2} million Chinese in Vietnam and they are now poised, like the tidal wave which broke over Portland yesterday, over the tiny economies of Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia. There is a real chance that this may come and we must use diplomatic pressures to resist that, and they must balance the attractions of the island to which I referred. However, whereas a week ago I was against the idea, I now believe the alternative may be worse.

Noble Lords have been very patient and have listened to a long and sad story. There is so much sorrow in the world, let us do a little to reduce it. Our foreign policy in South-East Asia should be found on economic good sense and in- formed by compassion. That means that we must recognise and favour the growing economic ties between Europe and ASEAN. We must contribute to raising the standard of living of ASEAN's poorest people, and to some of the destitute and dispossessed we must offer our friendship and a home at the time of the greatest crisis of their lives.

8.20 p.m.

The Lord Bishop of ROCHESTER: My Lords, I know that it would be the wish of many noble Lords that I should begin my speech by thanking the noble Lord, Lord Elton, for having raised this