TNAG-0899-FCO40-1109-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 125

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FROM UKMIS NEW YORK 1300012 NOV 79

TO IMMEDIATE F C O

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1521 OF 12 NOVEMBER

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INFO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA HONG KONG (FOR GOVERNOR)

1837A

842

14

My

EDIS'S LETTERS OF 8 AND 9 NOVEMBER TO MISS ELLIOTT, UND, AND TELECON EDIS/STITT, SEAD

THIRD COMMITTEE: SOUTH EAST ASIA REFUGEES

1849

see

1850

1. THE DEBATE ON THE REPORT OF THE HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES

AND THE REPORT OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL ON THE GENEVA REFUGEE MEETING BEGAN TODAY. THE HIGH COMMISSIONER'S SPEECH WAS NATURALLY

JUDICIOUSLY AND NON-POLITICALLY WORDED. THE SECRETARY-GENERAL'S STATEMENT SIMILARLY SOUGHT TO BE UN CONTROVERSIAL AND HE REFERRED

SPECIFICALLY TO THE DESIRABILITY OF HUMANITARIAN AND NON- POLITICAL CONSIDERATION OF THE MATTER IN THE THIRD COMMITTEE (COPIES

BOTH SPEECHES SENT BY TODAY'S BAG). THE CHAIRMAN OF THE THIRD COMMITTEE ECHOED THIS PLEA.

2. WESTERN SPEAKERS SO FAR (THE NETHERLANDS, SWEDEN, ITALY) HEEDED THE SECRETARY-GENERAL'S ADVICE. OF THE REGIONAL COUNTRIES

WHO SPOKE, THE PHILIPPINES ALSO STRESSED THE HUMANITARIAN ASPECTS OF THE PROBLEM AND THE NEED FOR URGENT RELIEF (COPY BY TODAY'S BAG). THAILAND CONCENTRATED ON THE EFFECT ON THE REFUGEE SITUATION IN THEIR COUNTRY OF EVENTS IN CAMBODIA (COPY BY TODAY'S BAG).

3. CHINA BROKE THE ATMOSPHERE BY A VIGOROUS ATTACK ON THE . VIETNAMESE AS THE SOURCE OF THE REFUGEE PROBLEM IN SOUTH EAST ASIA (COPY BY TODAY'S BAG). VIETNAM RESPONDED IN KIND WITH A STATEMENT WHICH ALSO HAD SOME SIDESWIPES AT WESTERN COUNTRIES. HOWEVER THERE WERE CONCILIATORY ELEMENTS INCLUDING THE STATEMENT THAT THE BOAT PEOPLE PROBLEM WAS WELL ON WAY TO SOLUTION AND THAT "VIETNAM WOULD CONTINUE TO OBSERVE THE COMMITMENTS MADE TO THE UNHCR AND OTHER GOVERNMENTS''.

4. THE DEBATE CONTINUES TOMORROW 13 NOVEMBER. WE ARE DUE TO SPEAK IN THE AFTERNOON.

15. А сору

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