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Vietnamese Refugees

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES

18 JULI..

The Lord Privy Seal (Sir

(Sir Ian Gilmour): With permission, Mr. Speaker, I shall make a statement that has been made by my right hon, and noble Friend in another place on the Indo-China refugee problem. Honourable Members will be aware of the deep concern with which the Government have viewed the rapid deterioration of the refugee situa- tion in South-East Asia over recent weeks. The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Dr. Waldheim, has now convened a special international meeting in Geneva on 20 and 21 July to deal with the prob- lem. The Government welcome this move, which was originally proposed by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister.

There can be no doubt that it is the callous and inhuman policies of the Viet namese Government which are the root cause of the problem, and it is imperative that the Vietnamese Government change those policies. Meanwhile, the burden that the flood of refugees is imposing on others in the region can be relieved only by a major and genuinely international effort.

The Government have given very care. ful consideration to the extent of the humanitarian problems, and in particular to the appalling burden that is being placed on the resources of the Govern-

ment

of Hong Kong. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has asked us to accept a further 10,000 refugees from Indo-China for settlement here. We have agreed. Because of our direct concern for the situation in Hong Kong, over a period to be agreed with the Governor, these extra refugees will be taken from Hong Kong, where there are already over 66,000 awaiting resettle- ment. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary is getting in touch with the voluntary agencies which have played such a commendable role in helping with the resettlement of the refugees who have already arrived in the United Kingdom. I would like to take this opportunity of recording again the Government's grati- tude to the voluntary agencies for the splendid work that they are doing in this field.

The Government also propose, subject to parliamentary approval, to make a further £5 million available from the over-

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Vietnamese Refugees

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seas aid programme for dealing with the refugee problem in South-East Asia over the next 12 months.

My right hon. and noble Friend will himself attend the opening session of the Secretary-General's meeting in Geneva on 20 July. I can assure honourable Mem- bers that we shall play a full and con- structive role in Geneva.

Mr. Shore: That is a welcome state- ment as far as it goes, both in terms of the numbers that the Government pro- pose to accept for resettlement and in its condemnation of the callous behaviour of the Vietnam Government. I take it, how- ever, that the two-day conference, which will inevitably be short, will focus on the major problem of resettlement that faces

the whole of South-East Asia.

Can the Lord Privy Seal confirm that the offer to settle 10,000 refugees is to be our immediate response to the appalling pressure on Hong Kong, and that Britain, as the sponsor of the international con- ference, the country ultimately responsible for Hong Kong and a nation with a great humanitarian tradition, will be ready with others to make a continuing contribution to the resettlement of refugees, should that be necessary?

The statement naturally deals with the boat people from Vietnam, but can the right hon. Gentleman tell the House any. thing about what I believe are sometimes called the “foot people ”—the vast num- bers of refugees from other parts of Indo- China, and from Laos and Cambodia in particular, who have made their way. under appalling and distressing condi tions, to Thailand? Is it the case that in Cambodia, in particular, a major cause of exodus is hunger? Has the right hon. Gentleman talked to the Red Cross about that second pressing Indo-China problem, and are there any plans for bringing food supplies to that area in order to alleviate it?

Finally, may I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether the Government have in hand any arrangements to ease and facilitate the reception of the 10,000 refu- gees who are to come to this island? If so, will his right hon. and noble Friend be prepared to make a statement at the appropriate time?

Sir L. Gilmour: I am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for welcoming my statement and condemning the callous

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