TNAG-0895-FCO40-1105-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 14

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FM BONN 021745Z JUL 79

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 437 OF 2 AUGUST

INFO ROUTINE UKMIS NEW YORK INFO SAVING WASHINGTON

LISBON OSLO

HKK 243

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8

WELLINGTON

HONG KONG ( FOR GOVERNOR )

DACCA PEKING BANGKOK

EEC POSTS HANOI OTTAWA CANBERRA TOKYO MANILA KUALA LUMPUR JAKARTA SINGAPORE

ANGLO/GERMAN TALKS ON ASIA: BONN: 1 AUGUST 1979: INDO CHINESE REFUGEES

see

1. DURING DISCUSSION OF THE INDO/CHINA REFUGEE PROBLEM, PETERSEN (UNDER-SECRETARY IN THE AUSWAERTIGES AMT WHO LEAD FOR THE GERMANS ) SAID THAT, ALTHOUGH THE VIETNAMESE MORATORIUM WAS USEFUL, THE GENEVA MEETING HAD NOT FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGED THE SITUATION. THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE SOLVED WITHOUT TACKLING ITS UNDERLYING POLITICAL CAUSES. HE WAS INCLINED TO FAVOUR A CARROT AND STICK APPROACH TOWARDS VIETNAM IN ORDER TO PERSUADE THEM TO IMPROVE THEIR HUMAN RIGHTS PERFORMANCE. THERE MIGHT BE SCOPE FOR A DIVISION OF LABOUR WITH SOME COUNTRIES HOLDING OUT THE CARROT AND OTHERS APPLYING

THE STICK.

2. CORTAZZI EXPRESSED SOME DOUBTS ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF OFFERING CARROTS TO THE VIETNAMESE. HE CUTLINED UK THINKING ON HOW THE REFUGEE PROBLEM MIGHT BE HANDLED AT THE UN AND OUR EFFORTS TO PERSUADE THE ASEAN COUNTRIES TO INSCRIBE A NEW ITEM DEALING WITH IT

ON THE AGENDA OF THIS YEAR'S UNGA ( FCO TELNO 117 TO JAKARTA (7)

PETERSEN REACTED FAVOURABLY TO CORTAZZI'S SUGGESTION THAT THE GERMANS MIGHT ASSOCIATE THEMSELVES WITH OUR EFFORTS AND UNDERTOOK TO CONSULT HIS COLLEAGUES ON THE UN SIDE OF THE AUSWAERTIGES AMT. BOTH SIDES AGREED THAT THERE WAS NO CALL AT THIS STAGE FOR A SECURITY COUNCIL MEETING ON THE REFUGEE QUESTION. THE GERMANS EXPRESSED INTEREST IN CORTAZZI'S ACCOUNT OF OUR APPROACHES. TO THE NON-ALIGNED IN THE CONTEXT OF THE HAVANA SUMMIT.

3. CORTAZZI REITERATED THE IMPORTANCE WE ATTACHED TO HONG KONG BEING ALLOCATED A FAIR SHARE OF RESETTLEMENT PLACES. HE STRESSED . HONG KONG'S EXCELLENT RECORD IN THE TREATMENT OF REFUGEES AND DREW ATTENTION TO THE PROBLEMS THAT THE COLONY WAS FACING. PETERSEN WAS SYPATHETIC AND SAID THAT HE HOPED TO HAVE SOMETHING CONCRETE TO

TELL

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