TNAG-0891-FCO40-1101-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 108

CONFIDENTIAL

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3 I recommend that we should pursue the Department's

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suggestion that the next tranche of 43,000 tons of grain should be switched from Vietnam and applied to helping feed refugees in South-East Asia and Hong Kong who have fled from Indo-China

because of Vietnamese actions. If the Nine were to decide to do

this I think it would have quite an impact both on Vietnam and on the rest of the world. The original decision to allocate this tranche to Vietnam was taken at the Council of Ministers, which

means that the matter will have to be re-opened at the next possible Council meeting, but if Ministers are agreeable, the first stage should be to sound out our Community partners at official level to see whether a proposal to switch the supplies to refugees would carry any support.

4. Subject to Ministers' views I would be inclined to suggest that the cereals should be divided between Thailand, Malaysia,

Hong Kong, Indonesia and the Philippines in proportion to the number of refugees each country is holding. Under this criterion Thailand would get the largest share, because its refugee figures

are swollen by numbers from Laos and Cambodia, but I think we

could argue that these are just as deserving as the Vietnamese boat people and that they are victims of Vietnam's policies.

5. Mr Blaker may wish to have a word with Mr Marten on timing,

and then consider putting these minutes to the Secretary of State.

19 June 1979

cc Mr Buist ODA

Mr Cortazzi

Mr Simons SEAD

Mr McLaren, HKGD

Mr Fitzherbert EID(E)

Mr Simpson-Orlebar UND Mr Bayne, FRD

CONFIDENTIAL

D F Murray