TNAG-0887-FCO40-1097-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 79

DSR HC

The alarming increase in the numbers of Vietnamese

refugees arriving in Hong Kong gives cause for great

concern. The colony now has over 34,000 refugees

awaiting resettlement elsewhere and we have ourselves

been seeking, and are continuing to seek, help from

other governments in sharing this burden. The results

SO far have not been encouraging.

Only a few countries are, as you know, carrying the

major resettlement burden. So many member states of the

United Nations have done little or nothing to help the

High Commissioner for Refugees in his most daunting task

of caring for and resettling the refugees. I am thinking

principally, but not exclusively, of some Latin American

countries where there must surely be some room for

refugees from Indo-China. I urgently ask you to do a!l

in your power to encourage such countries to help.

will have our full support in this.

You

I do not know whether Mr Hartling plans to hold any

further conference on this subject, but I hope

in any

event that next July's meeting of the Economic and

Social Council can be the occasion for a detailed

discussion of the Indo-China refugee problem and measures

to alleviate it with a greater sharing of the resettlement

burden. Too many countries appear to have turned their

backs on the plight of the refugees, and the meeting of

ECOSOC could provide an opportunity to remind the inter-

national community of their responsibilities.

You might

also wish, in advance of that meeting, to consider

contacting the Chairmen of the Regional Groups at the

/United