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international conference (I am repeating my
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request in a further message I am sending today)
to find immediate measures to deal with this
crisis. We must do all we can to put maximum
pressure on Vietnam and to persuade the international
community as a whole to share the burdens which
Vietnamese policies are throwing on the region. My Government are doing everything they can to achieve these objectives by diplomatic action
and publicity.
We are, of course, directly involved through
Hong Kong. There are already over 54,000 boat refugees there and more are coming in every day. The situation in Hong Kong is made worse by an
even larger flow of immigrants legal and illegal
from China. The Government of Hong Kong, with
our full support, will continue as long as possible
to provide a haven for these miserable people.
I appeal to you as a great Commonwealth
statesman whose humanity and experience commands
the respect of us all to help us meet this crisis
in a humane way. Can we not work together for
effective international action? In the meantime
..could you not suspend the actions announced by
Dr Mahathir? These can only redound against the
image of Malaysia and lead to increased pressure
on Hong Kong.
I look forward to meeting you soon.
Lord Carrington whom you will be seeing on 1 July,
very much hopes to discuss all this with you then,
/but
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