TNAG-0888-FCO40-1098-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 40

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FM FCO 012000Z JUNE 79

TO IMMEDIATE HELSINKI

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INFO ROUTINE GOVERNOR HONG KONG UKMIS GENEVA UKMIS NEW YORK WASHINGTON

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

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES

1. CORTAZZI CALLED IN THE FINNISH AMBASSADOR THIS AFTERNOON TO GIVE HIM THE BACKGROUND TO THE INDO-CHINA REFUGEE CRISIS AND TO SEEK THE HELP OF THE FINNISH GOVERNMENT. CORTAZZI HANDED HIM A COPY OF DR WALDHEIM'S MESSAGE TO MRS THATCHER OF 24 MAY AND THE PRIME MINISTER'S REPLY OF 31 MAY (BOTH BEING COPIED TO YOU AS RETRACTS).

2. CORTAZZI STRESSED THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE SITUATION, POINTING OUT THAT AN AVERAGE OF 1,000 REFUGEES A DAY WERE ARRIVING IN HONG KONG (1600 YESTERDAY) AND THAT OVER 40,000 REFUGEES IN HONG KONG CURRENTLY AWAIT RE-SETTLEMENT. THE PROBLEM THERE WAS COMPLICATED BY BOTH LEGAL AND ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION FROM CHINA AND THE PRESENT OFFTAKE WAS MUCH SMALLER THAN THE NUMBERS COMING IN. HE REFERRED TO THE SATURATION POINT REACHED IN SOUTH EAST ASIA AND REFERRED TO THE ENORMOUS LOSSES AT SEA OF THOSE REFUGEES WHO HAVE SET OUT FROM VIETNAM. HE SAID THAT OUR INFORMATION IS THAT THE VIETNAMESE WANT TO GET RID OF THE ETHNIC CHINESE WHICH COULD MEAN A FURTHER FLOW OF BETWEEN 880,000 TO 1.2 MILLION. THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT WERE CARRYING OUT A DELIBERATE CAMPAIGN CF PERSECUTION AND RACIAL DISCRIMINATION AND GOUGING REFUGEES OF

GOLD.

3. CORTAZZI SAID THAT THE UK WERE DOING THEIR BEST, HAVING ACCEPTED THE REFUGEES FROM THE SIBONGA AS WELL AS OTHERS BEFORE DESPITE OUR OWN RESPONSIBILITIES FOR OTHER IMMIGRANTS. HAVING APPEALED TO THE SECRETARY GENERAL TO ASK ALL COUNTRIES TO DO WHAT THEY COULD TO HELP WE WERE NOW ASKING OTHER GOVERNMENTS TO TAKE REFUGEES AND TO HELP THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES. HE HOPED THAT THE FINNISH GOVERNMENT WOULD NOW TAKE SOME REFUGEES AND WOULD SUPPORT THE PROPOSED U.N. CONFERENCE. 4. CORTAZZI EXPLAINED THE STRONG REPRESENTATIONS WE HAD MADE TO

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