TNAG-0895-FCO40-1105-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 317

THE PRIME MINISTER

10 DOWNING STREET

Cafes

H

12 July 1979

The

ford Shawcross,

Thank you for your letter of 27 June, and its enclosures,

about refugees in Indo-China. I gather you have written in similar terms to Peter Carrington.

I am keenly aware of the appalling conditions in which many

of the refugees survive, and of the dangers they run to escape from the Community tyrannies in Indo-China. That was why I

first proposed that the international community should consult

together, with a view to agreeing on practical measures for the refugees' welfare. We shall play a full part in the meeting

Dr. Waldheim has called in Geneva on 20/21 July.

seeing Dr. Waldheim in London on 12 July.

I shall be

By the special statement on Indo-Chinese refugees issued

at the Tokyo Summit, we are committed significantly to increase

our contribution to Indo-China refugee relief and resettlement

by making more funds available and by admitting more people, while taking into account social and economic circumstances in

our country. We stand by this undertaking.

In the last ten years over 730,000 immigrants have come

here. None the less, we have continued to honour the special

quota of 1,500 Indo-Chinese refugees set by the previous

Government, 250 of whom were to come from Thailand.

More

/ recently

LON

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