TNAG-0887-FCO40-1097-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 171

200

CA

DENTIAL

FM F.C.O.

CONFIDENTIAL

1

788

291325Z MAY 79

TO FLASH WASHINGTON

TELEGRAM NUMBER 561 OF 29 MAY

INFO IMMEDIATE GOVERNOR HONG KONG,

MY TELNO 559: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES

759

FOR P.S./MR BLAKER

H kk 24 31

RECEIVED NEDIGGY NO. 51 UKMTS GENEVA AND MOSCOW,

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

RY

FA.

по

731.5

PA

1, THE PRIME MINISTER HAS DIRECTED THAT ALL POSSIBLE PRESSURE SHOULD BE PUT ON TAIWAN TO ACCEPT A SIZEABLE NUMBER OF REFUGEES.

and 789

2.SINCE OUR CONSULATE ON TAIWAN WAS WITHDRAWN AT THE TIME WE AGREED TO EXCHANGE AMBASSADORS WITH PEKING IN 1972 AND WE DO NOT RECOGNISE THE AUTHORITIES IN TAIPEI, WE CANNOT MAKE AN OFFICIAL APPROACH TO' THEM OURSELVES.THE AMERICANS ARE HOWEVER IN A POSITION TO TACKLE THEM THROUGH THEIR NON-OFFICIAL REPRESENTATIVE IN TAIWAN AND WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL IF THE MINISTER OF STATE COULD DISCUSS WITH THE STATE

DEPARTMENT HOW PRESSURE MIGHT BEST BE APPLIED.

3. HE WILL WISH TO KNOW THAT WE ARE IN THE MEANTIME PREPARING

PUBLICITY MATERIAL WITH A VIEW TO PROMOTING A MAJOR INTERNATIONAL

CAMPAIGN AGAINST VIETNAM AND IN FAVOUR OF MORE RESETTLEMENT..

WE ARE ALSO PREPARING FURTHER APPROACHES TO OTHER FRIENDLY GOVERNMENTS (AT THE QUADRIPARTITE DINNER TONIGHT AND AT THE NATO MEETING).

4. FURTHERMORE WE ARE ARRANGING FOR THE SOVIET AMBASSADOR TO BE SUMMONED, IN THE ATTEMPT TO GET HIS GOVERNMENT TO USE !TS INFLUENCE WITH THE VIETNAMESE. FOR MR BLAKER'S OWN INFORMATION HM AMBASSADOR MOSCOW HAS REMINDED US THAT ANY REPRESENTATIONS ABOUT STOPPING THE EXODUS FROM VIETNAM COULD HAVE IMPLICATIONS FOR THE SENSITIVE QUESTION OF EMIGRATION FROM THE SOVIET UNION, HE THINKS IT MIGHT BE BETTER NOT TO SPEAK OF STOPPING THE EXODUS BUT OF REACHING AGREEMENT ON DESTINATIONS FOR REFUGEES AND BETTER ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE EXODUS.

CARRINGTON

FILES

FED

SEAD

HK & GD EESD

PS/MR BLAKER MR MURRAY PS/PUS

MR LEAHY

NAD

UND

PS FS/LPS

SIR A DUFF

MR FERGUSSON

MR CORTAZZI

CONFIDENTIAL