TNAG-0896-FCO40-1106-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 234

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My Simons

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Private Secretary

PS/LPS FS/r Blaker

PS/PUS Mr Murray

Mikk 243 Hrstitt

7 Why it migh

1. RECEVKO MI REGISTRY NOU

15 AUG 1979 KØD

INDO-CHINA AND REFUGEES

FA

Мо

REGISTRY

105

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AW14/18

FOOD N Webb

Seen after our telegram

to Manila had been approved. Let is leave it to SCADE decide whether they want to take further

Ivartion

1 We discussed today follow-up action in the light of my telegram from Washington No 2258 of 9 August and my minute to the Private Secretary of 7 August..

Refuree item at the UN General Assembly

2.

от

MB318

Hr Hurray is proposing to the Australians that they should Lake the initiative in proposing an item on the UN General Assembly agenda covering refugees from Indo-China.

Refugee processiaar centre in the Philippines

7. Ve ogreed that we should instruct Mr Bentley in Manila to press the Philippine Government for Hong Kong participation in the proposed Filipino processing centre for 50,000 refugees. We agreed however that it was unlikely that the Filipino authorities would apree. We might also ask the Filipinos whether their processing centre could be used for refugees picked up by ships In

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Refugee out-flow from Vietnam

!. We agreed that we could not oppose or try to delay the development of the 7-point programme of orderly departure from Vietnam, but it tas important that this should not lead to queue-jumping which would inevitably upset the ASEAN countries and Hong Kong and lead to refoulement.

We should therefore try to clarify UNHCR and American intentions on this aspect. In particular we should press the idea of using processing centres us temporary holding areas for direct exit camen.

Indo-Chino:

coordim:time group

We agreed that we should send a telegram today agreeing to the establishment in New York of a coordinating group composed of countries most actively concerned with the situation in Indo-China, and should instruct the UK Mission to coordinate the next steps on this urgently with the US Mission, bearing in mind the Secretary of State's injunction that we should not be seen to be taking a leading role. On the composition of the group we agreed that New Zealand should be included, but we thought it would be essential also to include the Irish in their Presidency capacity. In our telegram to New York we should propose an agenda on which the first item

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