TNAG-0885-FCO40-1095-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 161

CONFIDENTIAL

HK K243/1

RECEIVED IN REGISTEM NO. 51

11 MAY 1979

DESK OFFIC3-

INDEX

PA

Mr Leahy

Mr Murray

No

Jus

Arandumi 8915 midge.r

Mr Williamsb

shrunk this is substacky HKK243/1

RECEIVED IN REGIMAN KO. 51

11 MAY 1970

DESK OFFICIA INDEX

PA

Action Te

INDO-CHINA REFUGEES: CONFERENCE TO DISCUSS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A REFUGEE PROCESSING CENTRE JAKARTA, 15/16 MAY

15

646

A

B

PROBLEM

1

The Indonesian Government have invited the UK to participate in a conference, at Ambassadorial level, in Jakarta on 15/16 May to discuss a proposal to establish an island processing centre for refugees. The objectives of the conference are set out in the Indonesian Ambassador's letter of 20 April to Mr Cortazzi: the Indonesians seek "firm official commitments regarding the number of refugees accepted and/or any financial or other forms of assistance". The conditions which the ASEAN countries attach to

the establishment of the centre are in the ASEAN statement of 21 February: they stress the need to avoid a 'residual problem'. What instructions should be given to our Ambassador for the

conference?

C

BACKGROUND AND ARGUMENT

2

The exodus of Indo-Chinese refugees, mainly from Vietnam, continues to present huge problems for neighbouring countries and for the whole international community. Details are in the attached background note prepared last month. Responsibility for resettling these refugees devolves on the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (Mr Hartling, a former Prime Minister of Denmark), who in turn relies on governments to provide places and finance.

3

Britain has already admitted some 1,500 refugees, most of them boat refugees from Vietnam. We are committed to admit a further 1,500 boat refugees between January 1979 and March 1980 (1,000 from Hong Kong and 250 each from Thailand and Malaysia), the first groups of whom have already begun to arrive. This breakdown reflects the UK's special concern for the position of Hong Kong, described in a separate paper by HK&GD which has been

CONFIDENTIAL

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