TNAG-0889-FCO40-1099-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 24

1029

HKK 243/1

15 JUN1979

GRS 375

UNCLASSIFIED

FM CANBERRA 080655Z JUNE 79

TO ROUTINE FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 321 OF 8 JUNE

AND TO ROUTINE HONG KONG (FOR GOVERNOR)

HONG KONG TELNO 693 AND MY TELNO 298:

PUBLICITY ON REFUGEES

IND

No

take

PA ex

1. COPY OF SPEECH ON THE REFUGEE PROBLEM MADE BY MR MACKELLAR

ON 4 JUNE TO THE QUEENSLAND BRANCH OF THE AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE

OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS SENT BY BAG TODAY TO HONG KONG

DEPARTMENT AND GOVERNOR HONG KONG.

2. MOST OF THE SPEECH IS DEVOTED TO AN ANALYSIS OF AUSTRALIA'S

HISTORY AS A DESTINATION FOR MIGRANTS AND TO THE CONCEPT OF THE

REFUGEE. ON REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM, THE MINISTER REFERRED TO

THE ALLEGED COMPLICITY OF THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT. ON A

SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM, HE SAID:

"'... SEE IT IN SEVERAL PARTS.

FIRST, THE CAUSE OF THE OUTFLOW MUST BE IDENTIFIED AND

REMOVED. THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY SHOULD INSIST THAT THIS

BE DONE AND IT SHOULD USE PERSUASION, INFLUENCE AND CONSTANT

PRESSURE AT INTERNATIONAL AND BILATERAL LEVELS. THIS RESULT

SHOULD BE ACHIEVED WITHOUT AFFECTING THE INDIVIDUAL CIVIL

RIGHTS OF PEOPLE INVOLVED AND IT SHOULD ENSURE NO-ONE IS

PERSECUTED BECAUSE OF THEIR RACE, RELIGION, MEMBERSHIP OF A PARTICULAR SOCIAL GROUP OR POLITICAL OPINION OR NATIONALITY.

SECOND, THE GREAT POOL OF REFUGEES IN THE AREA SHOULD EITHER

BE ABLE TO RETURN TO THEIR HOMELANDS IN SAFETY CR BE RESETTLED

PERMANENTLY IN THIRD COUNTRIES. AUSTRALIA IS ALREADY PLEDGED

TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE SUBSTANTIAL RESETTLEMENT OPPORTUNITIES.

WE NEED TO WORK TO GREATLY BROADEN THE RANGE OF RESETTLEMENT

COUNTRIES.

THIRD, THE APPARATUS OF PROTECTION AND ASSISTANCE TO REFUGEES

SHOULD BE REVIEWED AND STRENGTHENED.''

/3. MINISTER