TNAG-0896-FCO40-1106-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 259

2000

CONFIDENTAL

1546

HKK 243/LDA

CONFIDENTIAL

FM WASHINGTON 09230OZ AUG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 2258 OF 9 AUGUST 79.

4

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51

13 AUG 1979

OFFICER

REGIS

INFORMATION PRIORITY GOVERNOR HONG KONG, BANGKOK, KUALA LUMP

SINGAPORE, DJAKARTA, MANILA, CANBERRA, UK MIS NEW YOR UK MIS GENEVA.

INFORMATION SAVING OTTAWA, WELLINGTON, BONN AND PARIS.

FROM CORTAZZI

See (1565)

1580

INDO-CHINA AND REFUGEES.

1. I HAD TALKS TODAY WITH AMBASSADOR CLARK, OKSENBERG OF NSC AND

HOLBROOKE, ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR EAST ASIA, STATE.

REFUGEES

: PRESSURE ON VIETNAM.

•

>

2. 1 OUTLINED THE ACTION WE WERE TAKING WITH NON-ALIGNED COUNTRIES,

WITH AID DONORS AND WITH THE ASEAN COUNTRIES. I EXPLAINED THE EFFORTS

WHICH WE HAD MADE TO PERSUADE THE ASEAN COUNTRIES TO PROPOSE A SPEC-

IAL ITEM ON THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY AGENDA TO ENSURE THAT THERE WAS

A PROPER DEBATE IN NEW YORK ABOUT SE ASIAN REFUGEES, IN THE ABSENCE

OF ENTHUSIASM FOR THIS IDEA FROM THE ASEAN COUNTRIES, EXCEPT SING- APORE AND THAILAND I ASKED WHETHER THE AMERICANS WOULD BE PREPARED

TO MAKE PARALLEL REPRESENTATIONS AND WHETHER IF THE ASIANS COULD NOT BE INDUCED TO ACT WE MIGHT SUGGEST TO THE AUSTRALIANS THAT

THEY TAKE THE LEAD. THE AMERICANS WILL CONSIDER THIS. HOLBROOKE

STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF ENSURING THAT VIETNAM HAD AN ''ESCAPE

HATCH''. WE MUST NOT SO DRIVE THEM INTO A CORNER THAT THEY FELT THEY

MIGHT JUST AS WELL REVERT TO THEIR EARLIER POLICIES OF AN ENFORCED

EXODUS.

REFUGEES

PROCESSING CENTRES.

}

3. CLARK SAID THAT GOOD PROGRESS WAS BEING MADE ON THE ESTABLISHMENT

OF A PROCESSING CENTRE IN THE PHILLIPINES. HE HAD NO CLEAR IDEA

HOWEVER OF HOW REFUGEES WOULD BE CHOSEN TO GO THERE, ALTHOUGH HE. SEEMED TO ASSUME THAT ONLY REFUGEES GUARANTEED FINAL RESETTLEMENT

WOULD BE ACCEPTED FOR THE CENTRE. WHEN I ASKED ABOUT REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG BEING INCLUDED, HE SAID THAT THIS WAS NOT A MATTER FOR THE

UNITED STATES. IT WAS NOT THEIR CENTRE: HE SUGGESTED THAT WE SHOULD

DISCUSS THIS WITH THE PHILIPINE GOVERNMENT SOON.

CONFIDENTAL

14. REFUGEESI