TNAG-0883-FCO40-1093-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 176

March 1979

REFUGEES FROM INDOCHINA: THE INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE

The resettlement of the growing numbers of Vietnamese refugees calls for wide international cooperation.

Since the collapse of the non-Communist regimes in South Vietnam,

Laos and Cambodia in 1975 hundreds of thousands of refugees have left the

area. It is currently estimated that a further 150-200,000 may leave

Vietnam by sea. The task of resettling them has devolved on a disproportion-

ately small number of countries and has been aggravated by the appearance,

mainly off Hong Kong, of ocean-going vessels loaded with refugees.

countries in South-East Asia and elsewhere are now pressing for a more

co-ordinated and equitable approach to the problem and seeking more cooperation

from Vietnam herself.

Host

Some 195,000 people, mostly Laotian, have arrived overland in Thailand

since 1975. The numbers seeking refuge from Vietnam have gradually risen.

In 1977 an average of 1,500 left by small boats. By March 1978 the figure

had risen to 12,000 a month. In November it exceeded 21,000. Since then

large numbers have left by ocean-going ships. Three have arrived in Hong Kong

harbour with a total of more than 9,000 refugees. A further 2,300 were on

the Tung An which arrived off Manila Bay in the Philippines at the end of

November. According to Chinese sources, more than 160,000 mainly ethnic

Chinese from North Vietnam have gone to China. A number of the countries

receiving refugees now say that they have reached saturation point and can

give only temporary asylum. Thailand, Malaysia and Hong Kong have

respectively 130,000, 40,000 and 16,000 in transit camps.

0,000

Of the territories bordering on the South China Sea, Hong Kong

(probably has the least space available. The population of half a million

Seven

in 1945 has increased ton-fold ginco, placing a heavy demand on limited

POHOUP CM8. You Hince 1975 the Hong Kong government have arranged for

toke flow

4,800 formor rosidonta of Vietnam tà join close relations in Hong Kong,