TNAG-0900-FCO40-1110-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 69

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AKK 243/1

RECHIVED IN REGISTRY NO. $1

19 DEC 1979

DESK OFFICER

3479

BRITISH EMBASSY HELSINKI

11 December 1979

I C Orr Esq

Government Secretariat

HONG KONG

INDEX

FA 243/1

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19112

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13/12

Wear Orr,

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES: RESETTLEMENT IN FINLAND

1.

Please refer to your letter of 9 November about resettlement of Vietnamese refugees now in Hong Kong.

2.

Although Finland has to date taken 100 "boat people" (from Malaysia) it cannot be said to have an "active resettlement programme. It was a "one-off" exercise; there is to date no question of an annual quota.

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3. Early in the summer, the media was full of reports on the plight of these unfortunate people. The government initially saw no need to make any public comment; the exodus was a distant problem, and having no ships in the South China Sea, Finland was unlikely to be directly involved. Unofficially, the government was prepared to assist financially, but decided not to offer resettlement in Finland.

4. As the press revealed the horrifying details of the tragedy, the government was forced to take a public stand. It increased economic assistance, and announced the earlier decision not to offer settlement in Finland. The announcement inevitably provoked a public reaction of "why not?" The media and charitable organisations lobbied on humanitarian grounds and the three Helsinki Bishops (Lutheran, Orthodox and Catholic) jointly wrote to the government asking that a number of refugees be accepted. The government, some what embarrassed, reversed its earlier decision; 100 refugees were subsequently accepted from Malaysia.

likely that the original decision not to take refugees was based on political considerations (although the government denied this) as well as on climatic conditions in Finland and natural Finnish reluctance to accept foreigners. Both the government and the media have been careful to avoid political comment; it was only when the problem became a massive humanitarian one that the government bowed to public opinion. Press coverage of late has moved on from the "boat people" and has tended to look at the plight of the Kampucheans.

5. It is

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