TNAG-0888-FCO40-1098-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 141

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CONFIDENTIAL

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CONFIDENTIAL

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FROM U K MISSION NEW YORK @1224CZ JUNE 73

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 547 OF 1 JUNE,

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MY TELNO 544: INDOCHINESE REFUGEES: PRIME MINISTER'S MESSAGE.

1. THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT WALDHEIM IS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE

REFUGEE PROBLEM IN SOUTH EAST ASIA, HIS INITIAL REACTION TO OUR PROPOSAL OF A UN CONFERENCE WAS SATISFACTORY (PARA 2 OF OUR TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE) AND HE HAS TODAY ISSUED A STATEMENT ON THESE LINES (SEE MIFT). BUT HE WILL INEVITABLY HAVE, AS SECRETARY-GENERAL, TO WEIGH THE REACTIONS OF OTHER COUNTRIES TO SOME EXTENT, WE HAVE ALSO BEEN RELIABLY INFORMED THAT HE, HAS SPOKEN BY PHONE TO HARTLING WHO EXPRESSED UNEASINESS ABOUT THE

PROSPECT OF ANOTHER INEFFECTUAL CONFERENCE,

2. IT IS TO BE EXPECTED THAT THERE MAY BE SOME STRONGLY NEGATIVE REACTIONS, EG FROM VIETNAM AND THE SOVIET UNION, AS SEEN FROM HERE, IT WOULD STRENGTHEN WALDHEIM'S HAND IF ASEAN AND WESTERN COUNTRIES, SUCH AS THE US, CANADA, FRANCE, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND, WERE TO SPEAK TO HIM IN SUPPORT OF THE PROPOSAL, REQUESTS FOR SUCH SUPPORT WOULD PROBABLY BEST BE MADE, IN THE FIRST INSTANCE, IN CAPITALS SINCE REPRESENTATIVES HERE WOULD DE UNLIKELY TO ACT

WITHOUT SEEKING INSTRUCTIONS. BUT WE COULD DO SOME SUPPORTING

LOBBYING HERE WHEN WE HAVE THE FULLER BACKGROUND REQUESTED IN

PARA 6 OF TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE,

3. ALTHOUGH IT IS NOT DIRECTLY OUR CONCERN, WE WONDER WHETHER IT

WOULD BE WORTH SUPPLYING SOME BACK GROUND GUIDANCE TO COLOMBO?

QUOTE THE SITUATION IN SOUTH EAST ASIA UNQUOTE IS (AT ASEAN INSISTENCE) ON THE AGENDA OF THE NON-ALIGNED CO-ORDINATING BUREAU MEETING FROM 4 TO 9 JUNE, IT MIGHT BE UNWISE TO TRY TO CET THE

BUREAU TO PAY ATTENTION AT THIS EARLY STAGE TO OUR PROPOSAL SINCE

THE OUTCOME, WITHOUT PREPARATION, MIGHT BE UNHELPFUL. IN CASE

CONFIDENTI AL

/THEY DO.