VIETNAM'S WANTS
A HUMANITARIAN CONFERENCE
Vietnam did not reply to the questions in a formal letter. Instead, Hanoi took advantage of having a special representative of the UNHCR on site to meet with him and verbally explain their position with regards to a possible conference.
Cable from Johnsson UNHCR Hanoi to UNHCR Geneva,
27 June 1979
hq/1948 was convoked by minforaff today 27 june at 1030 hours by vice director in charge united nations conferences and asked transmit following message to hicom as clarification further their statement 20 june on question of international conference on refugees aaa srvn government ready to participate in the conference for
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directly concerned countries if such conference held srvn government proposes only repeat only strictly humanitarian questions be elaborated and not repeat not political propose agenda should consist on seven points programme agreed upon between unhcr and vietnam and efforts to resolve the problem of refugees and already in certain countries south
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east asia my interlocutory underlined that srvn government possess clear and non refutable proofs of source and origin of refugee problem south east asia and on whom responsibility lies however government wishes to see conference which treats practical and realistic proposals and do not wish for political conference bbb regarding
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number participating countries srvn government proposes same participates as djakarta conference may this year that is countries of exodus countries of transit and countries of resettlement my interlocutory stated further quote we oppose categorically the presence of ppprrrccc and pol pot delegations vietnam will not repeat will not participate in
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such a conference unquote according interlocutory pol pot well known for nonhumanitarian policy and thus not competent participate in conference dealing on humanitarian question if conference wishes to treat the whole question on refugees from indo china then representatives of governments in vientiane and phnom penh should also be invited.
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Ccc srvn government asked that conference be convoked and directed by unhcr secgen could of course attend and for example open conference but it should be handled by unhcr ddd vietnam finds geneva acceptable as place of conference but request that opening of conference be delayed by one or two
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weeks from 15 july to end july in order to permit sufficient time for preparation without comments my part i promised convey message as above to hicom
johnsson unhcr hanoi
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UNHCR/F11/2/39_391_46_GEN_b. Cable from Poul Hartling to United Nations Secretary General, 27 June 1979, Annex IV, Cable from my representative in Hanoi about his meeting with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 27 June 1979, at 10.30.
Go to the scanned copy of the folder, p. 17 of the pdf file.