Registry No.
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
Top Secret,
Secret.
Confidential.
Restricted.
Unclassified.
PRIVACY MARKING
In Confidence
DSK 11
DRAFT
LETTER
To: -
Michael Rose Esq CMG
The British Council of Churches 2 Eaton Gate
Type 1 +
From
Lord Goronwy-Robert's
Telephone No. Ext.
LONDON SW1W 9BL
Department
}
Thank you for your letter of 8 March to, Dr Owen about
Vietnamese refugees. The Government share your deep concern
about these unfortunate people and we shall continue to do whatever we can, in cooperation with other countries, to alleviate their suffering and to support the work of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees who has the daunting task of coordinating the maintenance, protection
and resettlement of the refugees.
We are particularly alive to the needs of Hong Kong, and have asked other countries to help in taking Vietnamese
refugees from the Colony; but the problem is unfortunately more complicated than simply accelerating selection procedures and increasing resettlement quotas (although these are important). This, as I am sure you will appreciate, is essentially a human problem in which numerical calculations have to take second place to the
rights and wishes of the individual. The vast majority of these refugees left Vietnam with the firm intention of
reaching the United States and, even though this may involve long periods of waiting in camps, their eventual
goal tends to remain unchanged.
Our recent experience has borne this out: shortly after our decision was announced on 17 Februas cept a furth
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