TNAG-0895-FCO40-1105-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 131

C

The Right Honourable Lord Shawcross

THIRTY THREE LOMBARD STREET

LONDON EC3P 3DH

01-283 8888

GBE QC

Rub

16th July 1979

The Right Honourable Margaret Thatcher MP, 10 Downing Street,

London SW1.

Mgkan Ruma Minerus:

Thank you for your letter of 12th July.

I do, of course, appreciate the very important initiative you took in proposing the International Conference in Geneva about the refugee problem. I have a horrid fear that many of the countries summoned will try to shrug the thing off as the responsibility of others and I am glad to know the U.K. will be giving a strong lead there.

The

Nor of course do I underrate what we have already done. situation has, however, developed in a horrifying way since the Indo-China conflict and quite apart from humanitarian considerations it has, I believe, become of the first importance politically. I have not the least doubt that the Vietnamese whose policy if not controlled is largely influenced by the Soviet Union are themselves causing the emigration of these people not simply because they are hostile to Communism or have different ethnic origins but in order to de-stabilize South East Asia which is exactly what it happening.

Both Thailand and Malaysia have, of course, very large Chinese communities with whom they have, as you know, various and difficult problems. The increase in these indigenous population by immigrants will very much aggravate these problems and if when the Vietnamese eventually start a military attack on Thailand which would of course be followed by one on Singapore and later on Indonesia, the difficulties of resistance will be all the greater. I fully agree with the view that Lee Kuan Yew will have expressed to you on these matters.

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