TNAG-0895-FCO40-1105-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 223

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VIETNAMESE REFUGEES:

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GENEVA CONFERENCE FOLLOW-UP

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1. I am going to Paris on 25 July for talks with my French opposite number about Asia. I shall then be going to Bonn next week for talks with my German opposite number on 1 August, and I expect to meet Mr Holbrooke, the US Assistant Secretary for Asia in Washington in the week beginning 6 August. We shall also need to maintain our dialogue with the rest of the Nine, the Canadians, Australians, Japanese and ASEAN countries, and may need to consider a further informal meeting of interested Governments before too long.

Objectives

2.

As I see them our objectives should now be, apart from the basic aim of saving the maximum number of lives and alleviating human misery as far as possible:-

a) To ensure that the UN High Commissioner for Refugees follows up effectively the conclusions of the conference, eg on increased off-take from the region, resettlement in developing countries, development of UNHCR's agreement with Vietnam, transit centres, rescue at sea.

b)

To keep up' the pressure on Vietnam to ensure that Vietnam adheres to the moratorium, treats that part of her population wishing to leave in a humane way and develops the agreement with the UNHCR on sensible lines.

c) To seek ways of finding a political solution to the problems of Cambodia which threaten the stability of Thailand and to alleviate famine there.

d) To ensure that there is no discrimination against Hong Kong and that the pressure on Hong Kong is relieved.

How to achieve these objectives

3.

a) The first objective has political and humanitarian aspects. The following are essential elements:

i)

Resettlement in the UK. Our influence on the UNHCR in the next few months is likely to depend on the speed with which we take refugees from Hong Kong to this country.

ii) Finance. We shall also have to look very carefully at how we dispose of the remaining £2 millions out of the £5 million approved by Ministers before

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