TNAG-0888-FCO40-1098-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 5

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

CONFIDENTIAL

Grb 400

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO 041850Z JUNE 79

HKK 243,

་པ

954

„LIVLD-IN REGISTRY NO. $1

- 7 JUN1979

TO IMMEDITE TOKYO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 163 OF 4 JUNE

No

DA

INFO TO ROUTINE HONG KONG WASHINGTON UKMIS GENEVA UKMIS NEW YORK

MAGISTRY

Acton Trigo

ре

INFO SAVING HANO! MANILA BANGKOK JAKARTA SINGAPORE KUALA LUMPUR PARIS MOSCOW UKREP BRUSSELS

(949

YOUR TELEGRAM NO 237: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES

1. CORTAZZI CALLED IN THE JAPANESE AMBASSADOR THIS AFTERNOON TO SEEK SUPPORT FOR THE PRIME MINISTER'S CALL FOR AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE AND ASSISTANCE OVER THE REFUGEE CRISIS IN HONG KONG.

2. CORTAZZI RECALLED THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S DISCUSSION WITH MR SONONDA. SUBSEQUENT EVIDENCE REACHING US FROM VIETNAM AND FROM REFUGEES REACHING 11ONG KONG MADE IT CLEAR THAT THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT WAS NOT ONLY CARRYING OUT A DELIBERATE POLICY OF PERSECUTION OF SUPPORTERS OF THE OLD SOUTH VIETNAMESE REGIME, BUT ALSO INTENDED TO EXPEL THE BULK OF THEIR ETHNIC CHINESE COMMUNITY OF OVER 800,000. WE BELIEVED THAT AS MANY AS TWO THIRDS OF THE REFUGEES WHO LEFT IN SMALL BOATS FAILED TO REACH LAND.

3. BRITISH POLICY HAD TWO ASPECTS:

IN THE LONGER TERM, TO EXERT PRESSURE ON THE

VIETNAMESE TO AMELIORATE THE REFUGEES' PLIGHT, AND

من

IN THE SHORTER TERM TO SEEK MORE ASSISTANCE IN RESETTLING REFUGEES. WE WERE ASKING THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT TO INSTRUCT THEIR AMBASSADOR IN HANOI TO SPEAK IN STRONG TERMS TO THE VIETNAMESE, AS WE HAD DONE, AND IF POSSIBLE TO CALL IN THE VIETNAMESE AMBASSADOR IN TOKYO. WE WOULD ALSO ASK

THEM TO SUPPORT CUR INDIRECT REPRESENTATIONS: WE HAD SPOKEN TO THE SOVIET UNION, AND WOULD BE MAKING REPRESENTATIONS

TO EVERY STATE REPRESENTED IN LONDON WHICH HAD A MISSION IN HANOI. OUR AMBASSADORS WOULD BE ACTING IN PARALLEL.

CONFIDENTIAL

TEN MKID

ན་

Comments

Approved members can add comments, bookmarks, and private notes.

No comments yet.

Private Research Note

Private notes are available after approval.