TNAG-0887-FCO40-1097-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 173

GRS 354

CONFIDENTIAL

ESKBY 290930Z

FM BANGKOK 2907002

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 340 OF 29MAY

CONFIDENTIAL

HKCK 243/1

RECEIVED IN A

IN.

NO. 51

30 MAY 1979 PA

PA

REGISTRY -cou Taken

По

13115

786

INFO JAKARTA KUALA LUMPUR MANILA SINGAPORE UKMIS GENEVA

HONGKONG(GOVERNOR) HANOI VIENTIANE WASHINGTON MODUK(D14) MOSCOW

INFO SAVING PARIS BONN BRUSSELS UKREP BRUSSELS THE HAGUE LUXEMBOURG

ROME COPENHAGEN AND DUBLIN

750

MIPT INDO-CHINESE REFUGEES

1. DURING THE PAST WEEK I HAVE HAD SEVERAL DISCUSSIONS WITH MY

EEC COLLEAGUES, PARTICULARLY THE DUTCH AND GERMAN.

2. THE FOLLOWING POINTS EMERGE WHICH MAY BE WORTH TAKING INTO

CONSIDERATION IN DETERMINING OUR POLICY :

THAN

A) THE PRESENT REFUGEE SITUATION IS PROBABLY ONLY TIP OF THE ICEBERG. 3) THE PROBLEM OF LAND REFUGEES IS OF A MUCH GREATER MAGNITUDE

THAT OF THE MORE WIDELY PUBLICISED BOAT PEOPLE.

C) THERE IS A RISK OF THE SITUATION SPILLING OVER INTO THAI

INTERNAL POLITICS. THE NEW GOVERNMENT IS ALREADY SEEN BY MANY

AS SOMETHING OF A LAME DUCK. RIGHT - WING ELEMENTS BOTH IN THE

MILITARY AND AMONG CIVILIAN POLITICIANS (ESPECIALLY SAMAK,

LEADER OF THE PRACHAKORN THAI PARTY) MIGHT EXPLOIT THE SITUATION

FOR THEIR OWN ENDS.

D) THER IS ALSO THE RISK OF THE SITUATION ESCALATING INTO OPEN

CONFLICT BETWEEN THAILAND AND VIETNAM AND SO AFFECTING THE SINO-

SOVIET DISPUTE AND EAST-WEST RELATIONS IN GENERAL.

F) THERE IS A NEED TO BRING THE SITUATION TO THE ATTENTION OF THE

INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE (YOUR TELNO 121 TO MOSCOW)

AND TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT IT STEMS FROM VIETNAM'S INHUMAN

POLICIES AND IS IN PART AT LEAST BASED UPON ETHNIC ANTAGONISMS. F)

ALTHOUGH THE EEC'S ABILITY TO TAKE IN LARGE NUMBERS OF REFUGEES IS LIMITED, THERE IS CONSIDERABLE POLITICAL, MORAL AND MATERIAL SUPPORT WHICH THE COMMUNITY CAN USEFULLY OFFER THAILAND AND OTHER

ASEAN COUNTRIES FACED WITH AN APPALLING SITUATION NOT OF THEIR OWN

MAYING. IT WOULD BE UNFORTUNATE TO SPOIL THE GOOD START MADE AT

THE EEC-ASEAN MINISTERIAL MEETING LAST NOVEMBER.

CONFIDENTIAL

/ G) HMG