TNAG-0887-FCO40-1097-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 13

GRS 250

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FM FCO 3115562 MAY 79

TO FLASH UKMIS NEW YORK

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TELEGRAM NUMBER 225 OF 31 MAY

INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA PRIORITY HONG KONG MOSCOW PEKING WASHINGTON CANBERRA WELLINGTON KUALA LUMPUR SIN

JAKARTA MANILA TOKYO EEC POSTS,

THE DANGKOK

HKK 2431

RECEIVED US *ONEY NO. 51

- 1 Jump

M.1.P.T,

2

NIT)

RY

DESA

FOLLOWING IS TEXT OF MESSAGE,

RIDEX

PA

Action

1 pas

DEGINS

YOUR EXCELLENCY

THANK YOU FOR YOUR MESSAGE ABOUT YOUR RECENT VISIT TO SOUTH EAST ASIA AND THE PROBLEM OF THE INDO-CHINESE

REFUGEES, I AGREE THE SITUATION IS DESPERATE, THE BRITISH PEOPLE ARE APPALLED AT THE HUMAN MISERY BEING CAUSED,

MANY REFUGEES ARE ARRIVING IN HONG KONG, WHERE THERE ARE NOW 40,000 AWAITING RESETTLEMENT. WE HAVE CURSELVES BEEN SEEKING HELP FROM OTHER GOVERNMENTS IN SHARING THIS BURDEN, SO FAR WITHOUT SUCCESS.

1 BELIEVE URGENT INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION MUST NOW BE GIVEN TO THE QUESTION OF THE RESETTLEMENT OF REFUGEES NOT ONLY IN HONG KONG BUT ELSEWHERE. AT PRESENT ONLY A FEW COUNTRIES ARE CARRYING THE BURDEN, THE HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES DESERVES THE GREATEST PRAISE FOR HIS EFFORTS, REGRETTABLY THE MAJORITY OF MEMBER STATES OF THE UNITED NATIONS ARE DOING LITTLE TO HELP HIM, ALTHOUGH MANY HAVE THE CAPACITY TO RESETTLE AND GIVE NEW HOPE TO THESE UNHAPPY PROPLE FROM INDO-CHINA.

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THE SIGUATION

BRAD

857

ра

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