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CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL HKK 243
FM DOWN 18172OZ JUL 79
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 411 OF 18 JULY
INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA
1414
PA
по 8192 Анза
INFO ROUTINE UKMIS NEW YORK, CANBERRA, TOKYO, WASHINGTON OTTAWA,
EEC POSTS,' UKREP BRUSSELS
MEETING ON SOUTH EAST ASIAN REFUGEES
1. VAN WELL, STATE SECRETARY IN THE AUSWAERTIGES AMT, WHO WILL BE LEADING THE FRG DELEGATION TO THE GENEVA CONFERENCE, GAVE ME AN
OUTLINE OF THE FRG'S GENERAL APPROACH TO THE CONFERENCE OVER LUNCH
YESTERDAY.'
2. VAN WELL SAID THAT THE FRG WOULD ENCOURAGE THE UN SECRETARY
GENERAL TO TAKE THE CHAIR AND STEER THE MEETING ALL THE TIME, RATHER
THAN HANDING IT OVER TO THE HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES.
WALDHEIM'S PRESENCE WOULD EMPHASISE THE UN'S ENGAGEMENT IN THE ·
TOTALITY OF THE PROBLEM THE POLITICS AS WELL AS THE HUMANITARIAN
ASPECTS.
3. SECONDLY, VAN WELL SAID THAT THE GERMANS WOULD ENCOURAGE THE
ASEAN NATIONS TO SPEAK UP AND FOR THEIR VIEWS TO BE LISTENED TO.
THEY WERE THE COUNTRIES IN THE AREA MOST AFFECTED AND THEY SHOULD
BE GIVEN EVERY OPPORTUNITY OF MAKING THEIR VIEWS KNOWN.
4. FINALLY, VAN WELL SAID THAT IN THE GERMAN VIEW, THE ESSENTIAL
HUMANITARIAN ASPECT OF THE PROBLEM WAS TO STOP THE REFUGEES BEING .
PUT TO SEA. THE FRG WOULD THEREFORE SUPPORT ANY MOVES TO SET UP
CAMPS WITHIN VIETNAM ITSELF SO THAT THE REFUGEES WOULD BE PROPERLY
LOOKED AFTER BEFORE THEIR ULTIMATE DESTINATION BECAME KNOWN.
THIS WOULD IN ADDITION BE A METHOD OF PUTTING A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF
POLITICAL PRESSURE ON THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT.
5. THE FEDERAL CABINET DISCUSSED THE REFUGEE PROBLEM TODAY, AT A
PRESS CONFERENCE AFTERWARDS THE GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT REGARDED THE CONFERENCE AS A FIRST STEP TOWARDS
A FUNDAMENTAL SOLUTION OF THE PRESSING REFUGEE PROBLEM. AT GENEVA
THEY WOULD DECLARE THEIR READINESS TO HELP AND TO ACCEPT A TOTAL OF 10,000 REFUGEES (BONN TELNO 389 (NOT TO ALL) REFERS).
WRIGHT
CONFIDENTIAL
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