TNAG-0888-FCO40-1098-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 132

84-9

GRS 329 A

CONFIDENTIAL

DESKDY GL10382

CONFIDENTIAL

FM KUALA LUMPUR 510858Z · JUNE

TO JMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 159 OF 1 JUNE 1979

HKK 2431

TA

RECEIVED FIAGE'S NO.

DESK OFFICIA

INDEX

PA

+

Ло

36

(888)

PRIORITY TO BANGKOK, SINGAPORE, JAKARTA, MAHIL HONG KONG (EDR GOVERNOR), UKMIS NEW YORK, UKMIS GENEVA, PEKING, MOSCOW, WASHINGTON, HANOI

SAVING TO CANBERRA, WELLINGTON, PARIS AND UKREP BRUSSELS

REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM: ASEAN

TELNO 12 OF 30 MAY

1, ACTING HEAD OF CHANCERY CALLED ON PRINCIPAL ASSISTANT SECRETARY SEA DIVISION I (INDOCHINA) IN MFA ON 31 MAY, AND LEFT A PIECE OF

PAPER BASED ON TUR.

2. CARBERRY EMPHASISED THE MAGNITUDE OF THE PROBLEM FACED BY HONG

KONG AND THE COMMON INTEREST OF BRITAIN AND THE ASEAN COUNTRIES

IN PURSUING EVERY POSSIBLE AVENUE TO ACHIEVE SOME ALLEVIATION OF THE

PROBLEM,

HE STRESSED THE DESIRABILITY OF ASEAN COUNTRIES APPROACHING NOT CNLY VIETNAM BUT ALSO THE SOVIET UNION AS THE ONLY COUNTRY CAPABLE

CF EXERTING A SIGNIFICANT INFLUENCE ON VIETNAMESE POLICIES.

•

3. HSU KING BEE (WHO SEEMED AGREEABLY IMPRESSED AT ACTION TAKEN BY HNG) SAID THATAIHE MALAYSIANS SXMPATHISED WITH THE GOVERNMENT

OF HONG KONG. SHE SAID THAT THE MALAYSIAN GOVERNMENT HAD ALREADY MADE REPEATED REPRESENTATIONS TO THE VIETNAMESE. FOLLOWING HIS VISIT TO SOUTH EAST ASIA IN OCTOBER PHAM VAN DONG HAD WRITTEN TO DATUK

HUSSEIN ONN SAYING THAT THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT WOULD DO WHAT

IT COULD TO QUOTE RESOLVE THE PROBLEM AND EASE THE BURDEN ON

MALAYSIA UNQUOTE BUT SO FAR THERE HAD BEEN NO CONCRETE EVIDENCE OF

ANY VIETNAMESE ACTION. AT THE JAKARTA CONFERENCE ON 15-16 MAY THE

VIETNAMESE HAD EXPRESSED THEIR WILLINGNESS TO HOLD BILATERAL TALKS

ON THE VIETNAMESE PROBLEM. THE MALAYSIANS HAD FOLLOWED THIS UP ON

SEVERAL OCCASIONS BY ASKING THE VIETNAMESE WHAT THEY HAD IN

MIND BUT HAD RECEIVED NO RESPONSE SO FAR. A JOINT ASEAN

INITIATIVE HAD BEEN CONSIDERED BUT HAD NOT BEEN FOLLOWED THROUGH

BECAUSE NOT ALL ASEAN COUNTRIES WERE REPRESENTED IN HANOI, ALTHOUGH

THE IDEA MIGHT YET BE RESUMED.

CONFIDENTIAL

14

THE