TNAG-0893-FCO40-1103-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 204

EPS 248

FIDENTIAL

FR UKMIS GENEVA 638845Z JULY 79

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 254 OF 83/7/79

CONFIDENTIAL

HKK 247 Hkk

RE..

1276

MOCK

AND TO PRIORITY UKMIS NEW YORK WASHINGTON IHONG KONG

wil CONFERENCE ON INDO-CH'NESE REFUGEES

1. MR HURD SAW HARTLING ON 2 JULY. HARTLING EXPLAINED THAT

WALDHEIM HAD STRESSED THAT THE 20/21 JULY MEETING SHOULD CONCERN

ITSELF WITH HUMANITARIAN ASPECTS. WALDHEIM WOULD INVITE THOSE

GOVERNMENTS WHICH COULD CONTRIBUTE TO A SOLUTION TO THE REFUGEE PROBLEM. THESE WOULD INCLUDE, THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, THE COUNTRIES OF THE REGION AND POTENTIAL RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES. IF ANY COUNTRY INSISTED ON BEING INVITED, IT WOULD BE. HE INTENDED TO LEAVE SHORTLY AFTER OPENING THE MEETING AND HARILING (RATHER THAN ANY OTHER UN OFFICIAL SUCH AS RUFFUM) WOULD CONTINUE IN THE CHAIR. HARTLING READILY ACCEPTED MR HURD'S SUGGESTION THAT N WALDHEIM MIGHT BE PRESSED TO CHAIR THE MEETING THROUGHOUT, BUT IN THAT CASE DACAUSE OF WALDHEIM'S OTHER COMMITMENTS THE MEETING

WOULD HAVE TO BE LIMITED TO THE TWO DAYS NOW PLANNED. IT COULD GO

ON LATE INTO THE NIGHT IF NECESSARY.

41320)

2. HARTLING SAID THAT CHINA'S ATTENDANCE AT THE MEETING WAS UNCERTAIN

BUT HE BELIEVED THAT THE VIETNAMESE WOULD BE THERE.

3. HARTLING PRESSED FOR THREE THINGS. FIRST THAT WESTERN COUNTRIES INCLUDING THE UK, SHOULD PROMISE- PREFERABLY BEFORE THE MEETING IS TAKE A TOTAL OF 200,000 REFUGEES AWAY FROM THE ASEAN AREA. THIS WAS A MANAGEABLE FIGURE. SECOND, FOLLOWING FROM SUCH A COMMITMENT- THAT ASEAN COUNTRIES SHOULD BE PRESSED OPENLY TO AGREE TO GIVE

UNLIMITED FIRST ASYLUM TO REFUGEES AND ALSO TO ACCEPT A SIZEABLE SHARE OF THEM FOR PERMANENT RESETTLEMENT. UNHCR CONSIDERED THAT

THE ASEAN COUNTRIES WERE AT PRESENT BEING UNREASONABLY ONE-SIDED IN THEIR DEMANDS. THIRD, THAT THE UK AND OTHERS SHOULD PRESS THE LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES TO ACCEPT SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS. UNHCR HAD RECENTLY HELPED RESETTLE OVER 40,382 LATIN AMERICANS OUTSIDE THAT CONTINENT AND SOME RECIPROCAL RESPONSE WAS THEREFORE IN ORDER. WE SHOULD NOT ACCEPT LATIN AMERICAN EXCUSES ABOUT THEIR SPECIAL

DIFFICULTIES.

}

CONFIDENTIAL