TNAG-0892-FCO40-1102-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 214

A

CONFI

CONFIDENTIAL

Hkk 2431

RECLIELS

Sticut PA

Mr Barltrop, CCD

DESK C KIDTX

PA

C

}

Hranayan

Q227/6

1213

COMMONWEALTH HEADS OF GOVERNMENT MEETING, LUSAKA, AUGUST: AUSTRALIAN APPROACH ON REFUGEE QUESTIONS

A

15

Mr Dewar's minute of 18 June and our subsequent telephone conversation.

2

The Prime Minister has called on the UN Secretary-General to convene a special conference on the Indo-China refugee problem. Dr Waldheim has said that the conference will be held in mid-July. The conference may well be followed by a discussion of the political aspects of this problem in the UN Security Council. Our attitude to the Australian suggestion must depend to a large extent on the outcome of the' special UN conference. Nevertheless, it can almost certainly be safely assumed that the Indo-China refugee situation will still be (in August) a major issue commanding the attention of the media here and elsewhere. It will remain the most appalling international problem involving considerable loss of life. It would, therefore, be right for there to be some mention of it at the CHGM and also in the communiqué (though see the Home Office view in para 4 below).

3

The Australians have sensibly pointed out, however, that this would need to be dealt with in a way which took account of African susceptibilities. Of the 10 million or so refugees and displaced persons throughout the world, about half are in Africa alone. There is a clear difference between the refugee problem in South East Asia and that in Africa. South East Asian countries see the solution to their problem in sending refugees for permanent settlement to countries far afield. It would be unfortunate if the Africans who have, numerically speaking, a bigger refugee caseload took a similar view, which discussion of the Indo-China problem at the CHGM could conceivably cause them to do.

At present African refugee problems are solved in Africa with financial help, mostly from the developed world.

4

Rhodesia Department see some disadvantages in spending much time at the CHGM on refugee affairs: Britain has periodically been criticised for its handling of the Rhodesian refugee problem. The Home Office consider that to discuss refugee issues at a CHGM in Lusaka, and to seek to focus the discussion principally on the Indo-China refugee problem, might open a pandora's box. Nevertheless, South East Asia features on the provisional agenda and the refugee problem, which looms large in the region, will inevitably have to be discussed.

CONFIDENTIAL

/Conclusion