CONFIDENTIAL
15. M. Martin was dismissive of a role for the Twelve. He thought
it better to work bilaterally with the UK and the Germans.
Mr McLaren said that we would need to bring the Twelve along and
when it was opportune to make a collective statement.
16. Moving on to the question of aid, Mr McLaren said we were not
prepared to give direct aid to the Heng Samrin regime which would only help to prop it up. But HMG was coming under alot of pressure from organisations such as Oxfam to channel assistance through their projects inside Cambodia. If there was significant progress towards a settlement this pressure would increase. M. Martin said that the
French Government were subjected to similar pressure. They were
currently subsidising health and child care projects operated by
NGOS in Cambodia and gave a few indirect scholarships for those
studying to be doctors. The Alliance Francaise had three teachers
in Phnom Penh. Some assistance was also given to PRK Ministers and
senior officials who had families living in France. He did not rule out the possibility of channelling further assistance through NGOs,
but not before there was progress towards a settlement.
17. Mr McLaren said that we did not allow PRK officials to come to
the UK. We had refused requests to grant a visa to their Ambassador to Moscow, Hor Nam Hong. M. Martin said that the Russians used Hor
Nam Hong to put pressure on Phnom Penh. Prince Sihanouk's wife also believed that he was responsible for killing members of her family.
Mr McLaren said that we were aware of Soviet influence over Hor Nam
Hong but we were not aware of his involvement in the killing of
members of the Prince's family. This was a further reason for
refusing him permission to come to the UK.
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE
18. Mr McLaren said that there had been a dramatic increase in the number of boat people arriving in Hong Kong since the beginning of
the year.
There were now more than 22,000 of them in Hong Kong camps. The majority of recent arrivals were ethnic Vietnamese and few appeared to be genuine refugees. There had been little alternative but to respond with a new policy. This was introduced in June and would entail the repatriation of all those screened out
CONFIDENTIAL.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.