TNAG-0891-FCO40-1101-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 151

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REFUGEES FROM LATIN AMERICA AND COULD REASONABLY SAY IT WAS LATIN AMERICA'S TURN TO HELP WITH THIS NEW PROBLEM. IT WOULD BE HARD FOR THE LATIN AMERICANS TO ASSIMILATE NEW COMERS SINCE THEY HAVE NO MACHINERY FOR RECEIVING REFUGEES AND FINANCIAL INDUCEMENTS FROM OTHER GOVERNMENTS WOULD PROBALBY BE NECESSARY:

(D) WHETHER THERE WAS A CONFERENCE OR NOT, IT WAS ESSENTIAL TO OBTAIN MORE OFFERS CF RESETTLEMENT PLACES AND FINANCE. IF NOT THERE WAS NO POSSIBILITY OF PERSUADING GOVERNMENTS IN

SOUTH EAST ASIA TO LIVE UP TO THEIR OBLIGATIONS.

3. UNHCR CONTINUED TO SHOW OPTIMISM ABOUT THE USEFULNESS OF THEIR AGREEMENT WITH VIETNAM. THEY EXPECT 2,533 PEOPLE TO LEAVE VIETNAM FOR PERMANENT SETTLEMENT UNDER THIS SCHEME IN JULY,

4. MR BLAKER AGREED WITH MR HARTLING THAT THE DIMENSIONS OF

THE REFUGEE PROBLEM WORLD WIDE WERE ENOURMOUS. BUT WE HAD TO

CONCENTRATE ON SOUTH EAST ASIA. THE INTERNATIONAL

COMMUNITY HAD NOT PROPERLY UNDERSTOOD THE EXTENT OF THE CRISIS THERE. THE UK WAS TAKING THE REFUGEES FROM SIBONGA AND THOSE FROM ROACHBANK WHO COULD NOT BE RESETTLED IN TAIWAN. WE WERE PARTICULARLY CONCERNED WITH HONG KONG, WHICH WAS PROPORTIONATELY TAKING THE BIGGEST BURDEN. THE GOVERNOR WOULD DISCUSS THE DETAIL WITH UNHCR NEXT WEEK. IF OTHER COUNTRIES IN SOUTH EAST ASIA PUT UP THE SHUTTERS, HONG KONG'S POSITION WOULD BE EVEN WORSE. WE HAD ALREADY SPOKEN TO THE THAIS AND WOULD BE SPEAKING TO THE MALAYSIANS. UNHCR'S FAMILY REUNION AGREEMENT WITH VIETNAM WAS HELPFUL, BUT WOULD NOT

DEAL WITH 'THE MAIN PROBLEM VE HAD TO TRY TO PERSUADE VIETNAM TO CHANGE ITS CURRENT POLICIES OF COMPULSORY EXPULSION. THERE WAS AN URGENT NEED FOR AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERNECE WHICH WOULD TACKLE BOTH THE HUMANITARIAN AND THE POLITICAL ASPECTS OF THE CRISIS. WE HAD ALREADY SPOKEN TO 56 MISSIONS I LONDON AND THE RESPONSE TO THE PRIME MINISTER'S CALL FOR A CONFERENCE WAS ENCOURAGING,

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