TNAG-0895-FCO40-1105-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 253

BY ONE COUNTRY IS IN A UNI-VE POSITION,

WE HAVE A PARTICULAR

RESPONSIBILITY FOR HONG KONG, WHICH HAS TAKEN ALL THE REFUGEES

WHO HAVE REACHED ITS SHORES. WE INTEND TO ACCEPT GUR SHARE Q

REFUGEES FOR FIHAL SETTLEMENT. WE SHALL TAKE INTO DRITAIN OVEN

THE COMING MONTHS A FURTHER TEN THOUSAND REFUGEES, AS THE UNITED

NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES HAS REQUESTED. SUBJECT

TO THE APPROVAL OF THE UNITED KINGDOM PARLIAMENT, WE SHALL

ALSO TAKE AVAILABLE A FURTHER FIVE MILLION POUNDS OVER THE

NEXT TWELVE MONTHS FOR DEALING WITH THE PEFUGEE PROBLEM.

BECAUSE HONG KONG'S RESOURCES ARE ALREADY STRETCHED TO THE LIMIT,

AND THE NUMBERS OF REFUCEES THERE HAS CONTINUED TO INCREASE,

WE SHALL ALLOCATE ALL OUR PLACES TO HONG KONG. I HOPE THAT

OTHER COUNTRIES WILL ALSO COMIT THEMSELVES TO DOING MORE FOR

HONG KONG, WHICH NOW HAS EARLY ONE THIRD OF ALL BOAT REFUGEES

IN CAMPS IN SOUTH-EAST ASIA.

LE SHOULD WORK OUT EFFECTIVE PROGRAMIES FOR THE RESETTLEMENT OF REFUGEES IN DEVELOPING AS WELL AS MORE OF. THE DEVELOPED COUNTRIES. MANY OF THE REFUGEES COULD MAKE A VALUABLE CONTRIBUTION TO THE

PROSPERITY OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES BUT WE RECOGNISE THAT THESE

COUNTRIES WILL REQUIRE FINANCIAL AND OTHER ASSISTANCE IN

PESETTLEMENT.

WE MUST RASSERT THE ACCEPTED PRINCIPLES OF INTERNATIONAL BEHAVIOR

GOVER ING TEMPORADY ASYLUS FOR PEOPLE WHOSE LIVES ARE IN DANGER,

AND THE UPLIGATION TO SAVE LIFE AT CEA. THESE PRINCIPLES WERE

NOT DESIGNED TO CUPE WITH A MAN-MADE DISASTER OF THE SIZE WE

ARE NOW WITNESSING, IT IS NOT SURPRISING IF THEY HAVE BROKEN

DOWN HERE AND THERE UNDER THE PRESSURE OF WHAT SEEMS TO BE AN

ENDLESS INFLUX OF REFUGEES. BUT WE MUST UPHOLD AND REASSERT

THEM AS BEST WE CAN IF WE ARE TO PRESERVE THE FABRIC OF CIVILISED

INTERNATIONAL LIFE. THE RESPONSIBILITY FALLS NOT ONLY ON THE

COUNTRIES OF THE AREA, AND THE CAPTAINS OF VESSELS IN THE SEAS

ATOUND VIETNAL. IT FALLS ALSO ON POTENTIAL HOST COUNTRIES

BECAUSE THESE RESPONSIBILITIES ARE HARD TO FULFILL UNLESS

PESETTLEMENT PROGRAMMES ARE ADEQUATE.

MF SECREATRY-GENERAL

*

T AN ACUTELY JUNSCIOUS OF THE EXPECTATIONS

RICE THIS CONFERENCE HAS AROUSED - AVTONE THE PEOPLE OF CHINA,

SOUTH-EAST ASIA, AND HONG KONG: AMONG THE REFUGEES: AMONG THE

GOVERNENTNS WHICH NOW SUPPORT THEM. 15 OVE THESE PEUPLE A CLEAR

SIGNAL THAT RELIEF IS ON THE WAY. I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT HE SHALL

DISPERSE WITHOUT COUCH A SIGNAL.

FCO PLEASE ADVANCE COPY TO RIDGEON OID, FCO

MACINNES

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