TNAG-0888-FCO40-1098-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 109

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CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

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INFO HONG KONG, WASHINGTON, UKMIS GENEVA, UKMIS NEW YORK

INFO SAVING HANOI, MANILA, BANGKOK, JAKARTA, SINGAPORE, KUALA LUMPUR, PARIS, MOSCOW, UKDEL BRUSSELS.

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.

1. MURRAY ASKED THE SWEDISH AMBASSADOR TO CALL TODAY TO

EXPLAIN BACKGROUND TO PRIME MINISTER'S PROPOSAL FOR A

SPECIAL CONFERENCE ON THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEE SITUATION

AND TO SEEK SWEDISH SUPPORT.

2. MURRAY SAID THE VIETNAMESE HAD ADOPTED A DELIBERATE

POLICY OF FORCIBLY EXPELLING THEIR ETHNIC CHINESE MINORITY.

THE INDICATIONS WERE THAT HANOI WAS NOW CONSIDERING

DUMPING A FURTHER MILLION OR SO REFUGEES ON THE REST OF

THE WORLD. THE PROBLEM WAS URGENT AND OVERWHELMING.

HMG WERE LOOKING FOR HELP FROM SWEDEN AND FROM OTHER

FRIENDLY COUNTRIES ON TWO IMMEDIATE ISSUES:

(A) IN SUPPORTING THE CONVENING OF THE SPECIAL

CONFERENCE PROPOSED BY MRS THATCHER: AND

(B) IN PUTTING PRESSURE ON THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT TO

MODERATE THEIR INHUMAN POLICY OF ENFORCED EXPULSION.

MURRAY SAID THAT SWEDEN WAS IN A PARTICULARLY STRONG POSITION ON (B) BECAUSE OF ITS STRONG HUMANITARIAN TRADITION AND BECAUSE OF ITS CONSIDERABLE AID CONTRIBUTION

TO VIETNAM

CONFIDENTIAL

/ 3. MURRAY