TNAG-0972-FCO40-1191-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1980 — Page 29

CODE 18-77

SS 8/78

A/HOC

When I saw Mr Stephanou yesterday to carry out instructions about proposals for enlargement of the Security Council, he said that the Greeks were concerned about the problem posed by South East Asian refugees for Greek shipping. Last week a Greek ship had taken on about 240 refugees and taken them to Singapore, who had refused to accept them unless given a guarantee that they would be resettled in other countries. The Greek Government could give no such guarantee. The Greeks might raise the issue before the next meeting of the Executive Council of the High Commission for Refugees if guarantees of resettlement continue to be demanded by countries in the area. The danger was that Greek ships would stop taking refugees on board.

11 July 1980

Mous

M J Llewellyn Smith