TNAG-0895-FCO40-1105-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 250

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

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1600A

UDLAGSIFIED

FM UG 13 GENEVA 2019382 JULY

TO IMEDIATE FOO

TEUNO 343 OF 29 JULY 1777

FOLLOWING FOR RIDGEON, GIC

1433

HK K ZA

빠르륵

SPEECH BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS, THE RT PON THE LORD CARRINGTON, AT CENEVA ON FRIDAY 23 JULY, 1977

MR SECRETARY-GENERAL, HIGH COMMISSIONER, EXCELLENCIES:

1 SHOULD LIKE FIRST TO EXPRESS MY GOVERNMENT'S GRATITUDE TO YOU, FR SECRETARY-GENERAL, FOR INVITING US HERE TODAY FOLLOWING MY

PRIME MINSITER'S APPEAL ON 33 PAY. I PAY TRIBUTE AS WELL TO THE

FIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REF UCEES, WHOSE WORK HAS PELPED US TO

FOCUS ON THE STARK REALITIES OF THIS UNPRECEDENTED CRISIS.

NOT IN THIS GENERATION PAVE SUCH VAST NUMBERS OF PEOPLE RISKED

DEATH AND DESTITUTION TO LEAVE THEIR COUNTRY IN THE HOPE ́

OF FINDING REFUGE ABROAD, YOU HAVE SEEN THE MISERY OF THOSE WHO ARE WAITING IN THAILAND AFTER CROSSING THE FRONTIERS OF LAOS

AND KAMPUCHEA IN THEIR TENS OF THOUSANDS. I HAVE JUST RETURNED FROM HONG KONG, HERE OVER SIXTY-SIX THOUSAND PEOPLE HAVE FOUND TEMPORARY SANCTUARY IN THAT TINY AND OVER-CROWDED TERRITORY AFTER

PERILOUS JOURNEYS IN THEIR UNSEAWORTHY CRAFT.

WE CAN HAVE NO DOUBT ABOUT THE SCALE OF HUMAN SUFFERING LIVOLVED.

I HAVE SEEN IT FOR MYSELF, OUR AIMS AT THIS CONFERENCE MUST

RE TO FIND WAYS TO ALLEVIATE THAT SUFFERING: FISTLY BY GETTING

THE GOVERNMENT OF VIETNAM TO EXERCISE A HUMANE POLICY IN RESPECT

OF ITS OWN PEOPLE AND SECONDLY BY FINDING WAYS OF SHARING

THROUGHOUT THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY THE UNFAIR BURDEN WHICH

IS NOW BEING BORNE DY HONG KONG AND THE COUNTRIES OF SOUTH EAST

ASIA. E DO NOT THINK THAT THIS PURPOSE CAN BE SERVED BY RAKING

OVER PAST HISTORY.

IT HAS, HOVEVER, BEEN ALLEGED THAT THE REFUGEES ARE BOURGEOIS DROPOUTS WHO CANNOT ADJUST TO THE NO VIETNAMESE

PEALITY: THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE TO LEAVE: THAT THE LEFT ILLEGALLY

THAT IT IS ALL THE CONSEQUENCE OF COLONIALISM OR A PLOT OF THE

WESTERN CAPITALISTS AND THE CHINESE.

/MR SECRETARY-GENERAL,

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