GRS 340
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO 231353Z MAY 79
TO IMMEDIATE MOSCOW
72
TELEGRAM NUMBER 121 OF 23 MAY
TO 758)
HKK 2431
RECEIVED IN ZORAWY NO. 51
26MAY 07
DESK OFFICEN
INDEX
PA
TRY
Acton wen
INFO WASHINGTON, PEKING, UKMIS GENEVA, HONG KONG, KHALA
KUALA LUMAUR
SINGAPORE, BANGKOK, MANILA, JAKARTA.
FROM CORTAZZI.
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.
se 93
1. THE FLOOD OF BOAT REFUGEES ESPECIALLY TO HONG KONG FROM
VIETNAM HAS SATURATED ALL AVAILABLE ACCCOMMODATION AND THE
PRINCIPLES NOT ONLY OF FIRST PORT OF CALL BUT EVEN OF RESCUE
OF LIFE AT SEA ARE BEING INCREASINGLY PUT IN QUESTION. AN
IMPROVEMENT IN CONDITIONS IN VIETNAM COULD NOT ALLEVIATE THE PRESENT CRISIS, BUT IT IS ESSENTIAL IN THE LONG TERM IF STABILITY
IN ASIA AND BASIC HUMANITARIAN PRINCIPLES ARE TO BE MAINTAINED.
2. WE HAVE MADE STRONG REPRESENTATIONS TO THE VIETNAMESE, BUT THESE ARE LIKE WATER ON A DUCK'S BACK. THEY SHRUG THEM OFF AND
CLEARLY CARE NOTHING FOR WORLD OPINION. WE HAD HOPED THAT ASEAN MIGHT HAVE SOME INFLUENCE BUT ASEAN REPRESENTATIONS SEEM TO HAVE
BEEN MUTED AND IN ANY CASE INEFFECTIVE. IT WOULD THUS APPEAR THAT THE ONLY COUNTRY WHICH MIGHT BE ABLE TO FORCE THE VIETNAMESE AT LEAST
TO PAUSE IS THE SOVIET UNION. BUT IT IS HARD TO SEE HOW THE
SOVIET GOVERNMENT COULD BE INDUCED TO USE THEIR INFLUENCE IN HANOI.
3. PRESUMABLY:-
A. THE SOVIET GOVERNMENT DOES NOT CARE AT ALL ABOUT THE LOSS OF
LIFE:
B. THE REFUGEE FLOOD, A LARGE PART OF WHICH IS ETHNIC CHINESE,
C.
IS A MAJOR EMBARRASSMENT TO CHINA AND THEREFORE A FACTOR IN THE
SINO-SOVIET DISPUTE:
INSTABILITY IN SOUTH EAST ASIA SUITS THE SOVIET BOOK AS IT COULD BE USED TO REDUCE CHINESE AND WESTERN INFLUENCE:
CONFIDENTIAL
10.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.